Welcome to Power Players, The i Paper’s opinion series in which our writers and experts take an in-depth look at the key figures in American politics as the US reshapes itself and the world.
• The ‘swamp creature’ eclipsing JD Vance in the race to succeed Trump• The ‘pro-white nationalist’ whose power over Trump grows every day• Trump’s military cheerleader who is learning about war the hard way• The high-flying lawyer who turned tradwife for JD Vance• The female firebrand ready to reshape Trump’s America• Tucker Carlson: the hardline Maga kingmaker who turned on Trump• The anti-woke bulldog driving Trump’s fight against progress• The Antichrist-obsessed billionaire who eased JD Vance into the White House
On the morning of 11 February, President Donald Trump arrived in the White House Situation Room for a major briefing. He brought all of his top team with him, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Clearly, this was a significant meeting. But the person giving the briefing wasn’t a senior US general or intelligence chief. Instead, it was a foreign leader: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to The New York Times, it was at this briefing that Netanyahu set out the case for the US and Israel launching joint strikes against Iran, promising Trump that swift and decisive strikes could decapitate Iranian leadership, take out its ballistic missile programme, and maybe even lead to a public uprising which could topple the regime that has run Iran since 1979.
