In a televised interview with CBS’s iconic news program *60 Minutes* that aired Sunday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised the possibility of deploying United States ground forces inside Iranian territory, confirming that the ongoing Middle East crisis is far from over. Netanyahu argued that on-the-ground military operations would be required to seize and secure Iranian nuclear material, though he declined to share any specific timeline for when such an operation might be launched.
“I’m not going to discuss specific military tactics, but what President Trump told me is that he is prepared to go in,” Netanyahu stated in the interview, adding that he believes a ground incursion is physically achievable. This current conflict, widely viewed as having been orchestrated by Netanyahu, first erupted in late February when a joint surprise strike by U.S. and Israeli forces targeted multiple sites across Iran, including Iranian political leadership hubs, a girls’ school, and key military infrastructure.
According to reporting from multiple U.S. media outlets, U.S. President Donald Trump did not anticipate the initial wave of attacks would fail to force Iran to surrender. Contrary to Trump’s expectations, Tehran mounted a fierce resistance campaign against the U.S.-Israeli coalition: it targeted American military bases across the Persian Gulf, struck Israeli military infrastructure, and blocked all commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical energy chokepoint that carries roughly 20% of global oil supplies.
Trump negotiated a ceasefire with Iran on April 8, but subsequent talks have failed to produce a permanent end to hostilities. Iranian public and political sentiment remains deeply skeptical of the U.S. and Israel, with widespread belief that the coalition will resume attacks once it has regrouped and replenished its military capabilities.
In a surprising announcement during the interview, Netanyahu also said he favors ending the long-standing annual U.S. military aid package to Israel, which currently stands at $3.8 billion per year and balloons substantially during periods of open conflict. In place of traditional aid, Netanyahu proposed a new bilateral military partnership under which the U.S. would share advanced weapons technology with the Israeli military.
This proposal comes amid growing criticism within the U.S. over Israel’s outsized influence over American foreign policy and its decades-long reliance on U.S. military funding. While establishment politicians on both sides of the aisle continue to express unwavering support for Israel, American public opinion has shifted sharply against the country in recent months. A Gallup poll conducted in February found that 41% of U.S. adults now hold more sympathetic views of Palestinians, compared to just 36% who sympathize more with Israel. This marks a dramatic reversal from 2023, when 54% of respondents sympathized more with Israel and only 31% leaned toward Palestinians.
On social media and in public discourse, three key factors are most frequently cited to explain the shift in U.S. public opinion: the ongoing humanitarian crisis and allegations of genocide in Gaza, Israel’s extensive lobbying efforts to influence U.S. political decision-making, and Israel’s long track record of pushing the U.S. to enter into foreign wars that primarily serve Israeli interests.