Is the United States involved in Israel's strikes on Iran? The world wants answers

‎Tensions in the Middle East reached an alarming high on Friday as Israel carried out a sweeping military assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and military command centers, declaring the start of a “prolonged operation” to eliminate what it views as an existential nuclear threat.

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‎Israel hits Iran’s nuclear sites in major strikes. Tehran retaliates. Whether the U.S. is involved or not raises major geopolitical questions.

‎Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images 

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‎While Tehran swiftly retaliated, launching over 100 drones at Israeli targets, global attention is now sharply focused on whether the United States is involved—or not—in this escalating conflict.

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‎Operation Rising Lion Begins

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‎According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), over 200 fighter jets participated in coordinated strikes, hitting at least 100 targets across Iranian territory. These included the Natanz uranium enrichment complex, a well-known cornerstone of Iran’s nuclear program, and multiple Revolutionary Guard Corps installations.

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‎Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the military offensive, code-named “Operation Rising Lion,” as a “decisive moment in Israel’s history,” declaring that it would continue “for as many days as it takes” to neutralize the Iranian nuclear threat.

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‎In a rare briefing, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced that top Iranian military officials, including Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami and Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff, were killed in the strikes. The Israeli military also claimed that Iran had amassed enough enriched uranium to build as many as 15 nuclear bombs in days, a claim rejected by U.S. intelligence assessments.

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‎Iran’s Retaliation: Drone Barrage and Escalating Rhetoric

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‎Within hours of the Israeli airstrikes, Iran launched over 100 armed drones toward Israeli airspace, prompting emergency defenses and the closure of Ben Gurion Airport. Explosions were reported in Tel Aviv and northern Negev, although the majority of the drones were intercepted, according to Israeli military officials.

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‎Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Israel’s actions a “bloody crime”, vowing that the country would face a “bitter fate.” Iranian state media also reported civilian casualties, including children killed in residential areas of Tehran.

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‎Amid the chaos, airlines began diverting flights away from Iranian, Iraqi, and Israeli airspace, signaling the international concern over an impending regional war.

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‎Is the United States Involved or Not?

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‎At the heart of the geopolitical fallout is one burning question: Is the United States involved in Israel’s unprecedented assault—or not?

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‎Official U.S. Response: Denial and Caution

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‎U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were quick to distance Washington from the Israeli strikes, asserting that the operation was carried out “unilaterally” by Israel and that “the United States was not involved in any way.” Rubio also issued a stern warning to Iran: “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

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‎The White House stated that President Donald Trump was convening a National Security Council meeting to evaluate the situation and reiterated his stance that Iran “cannot be allowed to have a nuclear bomb.”

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‎However, Trump also hinted at possible future negotiations, saying in an interview on Fox News, “We will see. We still hope to get back to the negotiating table.”

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‎Behind the Scenes: Signals of Coordination

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‎Despite official denials, signs of possible coordination between Israel and the United States have emerged. Israeli media cited a senior government official stating that Jerusalem had briefed Washington in advance of the operation. Meanwhile, reports from Axios revealed that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency executed covert sabotage missions within Iran, potentially involving the use of Western-supplied cyber and surveillance tools.

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‎A U.S. intelligence source, speaking anonymously to Reuters, confirmed that Washington had not altered its assessment that Iran had not resumed nuclear weapons development since halting it in 2003. Still, pre-positioning of U.S. assets in the region—such as aircraft carriers and rapid deployment forces—has fueled speculation that Washington may be preparing for potential fallout, if not already complicit.

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‎Diplomatic Fallout and Global Response

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‎Global reactions were swift and polarized. The United Nations called for “maximum restraint,” warning that any further escalation could ignite a broader Middle East war. Meanwhile, oil prices surged, stock markets dipped, and investors fled to safe-haven assets like gold and the Swiss franc.

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‎Regional actors have also begun to respond. Oman, Qatar, and the UAE condemned the violence, while Saudi Arabia urged both sides to de-escalate. The European Union expressed concern that Israel's operation could derail ongoing diplomatic efforts to restore a nuclear agreement with Iran.

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‎Remarkably, U.S. and Iranian negotiators still plan to meet in Oman on Sunday to continue nuclear talks aimed at curbing Tehran’s uranium enrichment. A U.S. official confirmed that the talks would proceed “unless the situation becomes unmanageable.”

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‎The Bigger Picture: Strategic Gamble or Last Resort?

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‎Israel has framed its actions as a last resort in the face of what it claims is Iran’s imminent ability to build nuclear weapons. However, critics argue the strikes risk dragging the U.S. and the broader region into an uncontrollable conflict.

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‎Whether the United States is directly involved or not, it is clear that Washington is now deeply entangled in the fallout. As American citizens in the region brace for potential evacuations and U.S. military planners prepare for multiple contingencies, the line between support and participation grows increasingly blurred.

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‎In the coming days, as the world watches for Iran’s next move, one question will dominate headlines, diplomatic chambers, and military briefings alike:

‎Was the United States merely an observer—or a silent partner—in the most consequential military operation in the Middle East in decades?