President Donald Trump publicly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate after Iran fired missiles at Israel, but behind the scenes Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped Israel secure approval for a limited response, according to a report by Danny Zaken in Israel Hayom. The report describes intense discussions between Washington and Jerusalem that ended with Trump authorizing a coordinated Israeli strike despite his public calls for restraint.

The dispute centered on whether Iran should pay a price for firing directly at Israel. Trump initially signaled opposition, declaring, “I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one.” Netanyahu reportedly argued that failing to respond would reward Iran and strengthen Tehran’s position in negotiations with the U.S.

According to the report, Israel also warned that Iran was using its remaining missile force to gain diplomatic leverage. Rubio reportedly backed that position, recalling his previous statement that “Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at.” The discussions ultimately led to U.S. approval for a strike whose targets and limits were coordinated with Washington. Channel 13 reported that Netanyahu had considered a broader attack on Iranian energy infrastructure, but Trump rejected that option and told him, “Strike, and close the event.”

Military coordination continued throughout the crisis. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly told commanders, “We are ready to respond and are waiting only for the green light.” Zamir also held several conversations with CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper before the operation. Israel Hayom reported that the strikes were coordinated with CENTCOM, although U.S. forces did not participate directly.

The report also tied the confrontation to Lebanon. Netanyahu reportedly warned Trump that Iran was trying to derail U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon by forcing Israel to halt operations against Hezbollah. Iranian statements likewise linked the missile attack to Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s Dahiyeh district. After the exchange, both sides signaled they would stop if the other side did the same, though Netanyahu warned, “If Iran makes the mistake of resuming attacks on us, we will respond with overwhelming force.”