Trump scuttled Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities

(JTA) — As Donald Trump took office in January, many who have kept a close eye on Israel’s efforts to blunt Iran’s nuclear ambitions believed the timing was ripe for a decisive strike. Iran had been deeply weakened by Israel’s direct attacks and wars with its proxies, and Trump was seen as open to being convinced to provide the crucial U.S. support that would be needed to pull off an attack on Iran’s fortified nuclear sites.

But ultimately Trump batted away a specific Israeli plan for a strike in May, the New York Times reported on Thursday. Instead, he is favoring diplomacy for now, opening n...