Senator Accuses Netanyahu of Manipulating Trump into War

During an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu effectively drew President Donald Trump into conflict with Iran after Trump’s return from a summit in China. Van Hollen criticized Netanyahu, stating, “The president got dragged into this war. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been waiting for decades for a U.S. leader willing to engage in a war with Iran, and he found a president naïve enough to do it. I hold Donald Trump responsible for that decision, but here we are.”

Van Hollen further suggested that the United States does not need China’s assistance to resolve the ongoing conflict. He expressed, “I don’t believe we require help from China. The fastest way to end the war with Iran is simply to stop complicating the situation. That’s what we need to focus on now.”

The Maryland Democratic Party remarked that Trump had campaigned on the promise of avoiding new wars and reducing costs, yet the current conflict runs counter to those assurances. Van Hollen observed, “Ultimately, Trump claimed he would keep us out of war and work on lowering expenses. Instead, we see the opposite happening, with gas prices and other costs rising.”

When asked about the possibility of diplomacy leading to a new nuclear agreement with Iran, Van Hollen referenced the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed in 2015 between the U.S., Iran, and other nations. He stated, “We know it’s possible to negotiate successfully when both parties are willing, as evidenced by President Obama’s achievements during his tenure.”

Van Hollen also addressed Trump’s previous assertions that his administration had dismantled Iran’s nuclear program. He remarked, “Just last year, Trump insisted that he had taken care of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, yet DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard confirmed that there was no indication Iran intended to restart their nuclear efforts.”

In light of Netanyahu’s recent comments on CBS’s “60 Minutes” about the need to eliminate Iran’s nuclear materials, Van Hollen noted the urgency but questioned the approach. Netanyahu had suggested a direct military operation to retrieve the uranium, stating, “Go in and take it out.”

The White House defended the military actions in Iran, framing them as essential to neutralizing an “imminent nuclear threat,” claiming that Iran’s nuclear facilities had been destroyed as of June 2025.

Currently, there has been no immediate response from the White House regarding the recent developments.