WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews)-Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed President Barack Obama to support or join military strikes against Iran, but Obama declined, viewing it as a major error.

Kerry made the remarks in recent interviews discussing past U.S.-Israel discussions on Iran policy. He recalled that Netanyahu “wanted us to strike” and “came to President Obama” with a presentation seeking approval for action.

“Obama said no and refused to partake in that, thought it was an enormous mistake,” Kerry stated, according to the provided account. He added that Obama favored diplomacy over immediate military engagement.

Kerry has said similar things in multiple appearances, noting that Netanyahu made comparable pitches to Presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden, all of whom refused. Only President Trump ultimately agreed to military action alongside Israel, he claimed.

The comments come amid ongoing debates over U.S. policy toward Iran’s nuclear program and regional threats. Netanyahu has long warned of the dangers posed by Iran, while critics of past administrations argue that diplomatic approaches, such as the 2015 nuclear deal, failed to curb Tehran’s ambitions.

Kerry, who helped negotiate the Obama-era Iran deal, has defended the preference for exhausting diplomatic options before resorting to force. Supporters of stronger action against Iran, including many in the pro-Israel community, have criticized such restraint as naive in the face of Iran’s support for terror proxies and pursuit of nuclear weapons.