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Israel left in dark as US cancels strike against Iran - officials

FILE PHOTO: U.S. and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Israel was blindsided by US President Donald Trump's Iran strike reversal leaving officials frustrated uncertain and keeping forces on high alert. - REUTERS
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The United States excluded Israel from decision-making for several hours before calling off a planned attack on Iran, leaving Israeli officials completely unaware of the move, Israel's Channel 12 reported on Sunday.

According to the report, a senior Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and other top officials only learned of the U.S. decision to call off the strike on Iran through a social media post by President Donald Trump.

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In the hours before that, the Israeli government was in a state of information vacuum and uncertainty, confused about Washington's strategic intentions, the report said.

The report said that after Trump announced the cancellation, Israel felt "abandoned by its ally."

At first, Israeli officials thought the United States might be employing a deception tactic to mislead Iran. However, after military and diplomatic channels attempted to contact Washington, they finally confirmed that the Trump administration had genuinely reversed the course, said the report.

Another senior Israeli official voiced deep frustration, saying it would take a long time to reestablish tactical deployment once the military scales down its readiness.

He noted that Israel had concentrated all its military resources on one front, only to realize that the extended high‑alert posture had been largely for nothing.

The official also said that Israel was unclear about the U.S. administration's ultimate intentions.

The report concluded that, given the uncertainty over whether the Trump administration might reverse its decision again, the Israeli military is keeping its forces at a high level of alert.

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