President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate after Iran fired missiles into northern Israel on June 2, 2026 [1].
The directive signals a significant shift in the U.S. approach to regional conflict, prioritizing diplomatic negotiations over military escalation between two key allies and a regional adversary.
Iran launched 10 missiles at northern Israel [1]. This marked the first Iranian missile attack on the country in two months [1]. Following the strike, Trump communicated directly with the Israeli leadership to discourage a counterstrike.
"I told Prime Minister Netanyahu not to retaliate," Trump said [1]. He said that the United States would not join any Israeli attack on Iran [2].
The president indicated that further escalation could jeopardize ongoing U.S.–Iran negotiations and threaten regional stability [1, 3].
"We do not want this to escalate further," Trump said [2].
While the president sought to prevent a military response, some U.S. officials warned that the United States could still be drawn into the conflict if escalation continues [3]. Trump remained firm on his authority regarding the decision-making process for U.S. involvement.
"I call the shots," Trump said [1].
“"I told Prime Minister Netanyahu not to retaliate."”
This interaction highlights a tension between U.S. diplomatic goals and Israeli security imperatives. By explicitly refusing to participate in a retaliatory strike, the Trump administration is leveraging its alliance with Israel to protect a specific diplomatic track with Iran, effectively limiting Israel's operational freedom to avoid a wider regional war.
