The US is waiting for Iran’s response after changing the course of the conflict.

Standing at the podium in Jerusalem this morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened not with a message in Hebrew to his people, but in English — a gesture aimed squarely at Washington. He heaped praise on US President Donald Trump, whose decision to strike Iran’s nuclear sites overnight has dramatically shifted the trajectory of the conflict.

Netanyahu’s tone was triumphant, his satisfaction only thinly veiled. For over a decade, he has warned of the existential threat Iran poses to Israel and tirelessly lobbied successive US administrations to adopt a more aggressive posture. Last night, he got what he had long sought: American bombs falling on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

For 15 years, Netanyahu has pushed the idea that only American military force could destroy Iran’s deeply fortified nuclear facilities. Despite Trump’s initial resistance to foreign entanglements — and strong opposition among his base to joining Israel’s confrontation with Iran — Netanyahu appears to have swayed him.

As Netanyahu congratulated Trump on what he called a “historic” decision, it marked a significant moment: the US president had gone against both his intelligence agencies, which doubted Iran was on the brink of weaponizing its nuclear program, and his own campaign promises to avoid new wars.

Throughout the 10-day conflict, Israel has insisted it could face Iran alone. But many knew that only the United States possessed the kind of heavy ordnance needed to target sites like Fordo, a uranium enrichment facility buried deep within a mountain. Along with Natanz and Isfahan, Fordo was among the three sites struck by US bombers.

If the strikes have indeed rendered these sites inoperable, Netanyahu may soon declare victory — at least in terms of his central war aim. Iran, however, claims it had already relocated its nuclear materials from those sites, raising questions about the operation’s long-term impact.

Without US involvement, Israel would likely have continued its strikes, targeting Iranian military assets, key figures, infrastructure, and scientists — all part of a long-prepared list. But such a campaign might not have delivered a moment Netanyahu could frame as decisive. For some in Israel’s leadership, only regime change in Tehran might bring that certainty.

Now, the strategic equation has changed. The use of American B2 bombers has not just disrupted Iran’s nuclear program — it has introduced a new layer of risk. Iran has threatened retaliation. Just days ago, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the US that any intervention would come at a severe cost.

Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have also vowed to strike US ships in the Red Sea if Washington joined the war. American troops, citizens, and interests across the region now face increased danger.

Whether the situation escalates further depends on Tehran’s next move. Iran may opt for limited retaliation — targeting US assets in ways that avoid mass casualties, or acting through proxy forces in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, or Yemen.

This wouldn’t be without precedent. After the US killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, Iran responded with a calculated missile attack on American bases in Iraq, carefully avoiding fatalities. Something similar could unfold now.

While the US has indicated it is not seeking regime change and that its military action is, for now, concluded, tensions remain sky-high. President Trump has warned that any retaliation will be met with overwhelming force.

For now, the region is on edge. Whether this is a turning point toward peace or the start of an even more destructive phase remains uncertain.