Reports: Israel believes Trump may still take military action against Iran

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2026 (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2026 (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

Israel believes that US President Donald Trump may still take military action against Iran, according to two unsourced Hebrew-language media reports.

Channel 12 news says the prospect of action is still on the table, while the Kan public broadcaster says a potential decision by the US president to order strikes would be dependent on the outcome of diplomatic efforts.

According to Kan, Israel believes that if the aim of potential action is to overthrow the Iranian regime, the US does not have sufficient military assets in the region.

Trump has suggested that he called off a strike against Iran over the regime’s crackdown on protesters after an alleged decision by Tehran not to execute 800 protesters.

Harsh repression that has left several thousand people dead appears to have succeeded in stifling demonstrations that began Dec. 28 over Iran’s ailing economy and morphed into protests directly challenging the country’s theocracy.

AP contributed to this report.

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