Axios: 4 Reasons That Led Trump to Retreat from Bombing Iran

SadaNews - Axios reported that U.S. and Israeli officials stated that four reasons led President Donald Trump to back down from launching a military strike against Iran last Wednesday, in response to its handling of the widespread protests that swept the country.

The American website clarified that Trump's retreat was due to the inadequate U.S. forces and equipment in the Middle East to strike Iran and to deal with any Iranian retaliation to the U.S. attack.

Since the U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, Washington has withdrawn many of its military assets from the region and redirected them to the Caribbean and East Asia.

Warnings from Allies

The second reason that led Trump to retreat from striking Iran was the warnings issued by America's allied countries, which cautioned about the potential repercussions on regional stability.

Axios adds, quoting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisor, that Netanyahu called Trump on January 14, informing him that Israel was not prepared to defend itself against any Iranian attack in response to the imminent U.S. strike.

The Israeli warning, in particular, was the third factor behind Trump's decision not to give the green light for military attacks on Iran, according to the site.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported today, Sunday, that Israel currently prefers to delay a limited U.S. military strike against Iran, in favor of preparing for a wider attack later, amid estimates suggesting that any limited operation could provoke a broad Iranian response.

Backchannel Communication

The fourth reason - according to Axios - is the existence of a backchannel communication between Washington and Tehran, as U.S. officials told the site that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi sent a text message to U.S. envoy Steve Biegun on Wednesday, pledging that Iranian authorities would postpone scheduled executions of protest participants.

Axios added that Iranian Minister Araqchi discussed a diplomatic path to de-escalation between the two countries with Biegun.

Pressure from the United States and its ally Israel on Tehran has intensified since popular protests erupted in Iran in late December of last year, protesting the deterioration of economic and living conditions.