As Trump Weighs Renewed Iran Strikes, Fetterman Vows to Stand With Israel

by | Jul 29, 2026 | News

flying rocket during daytime

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with senior American officials in Washington, President Donald Trump signaled he may be prepared to escalate against Iran once more, saying it was America’s turn to hit Iran very hard following Tehran’s strikes on United States bases.

The remarks underscored how close the conflict remains to another round of escalation. American forces have paused nightly strikes for several days while envoys attempt to negotiate with Tehran, but the killing of American service members by Iranian fire on a base in Jordan has intensified pressure on Trump to respond forcefully. In Tehran, pro government demonstrators gathered beneath banners threatening the American president, a sign of how far any diplomatic opening remains from taking hold. Iran has said there are no current talks underway with Washington.

Netanyahu spent Wednesday in a series of meetings, including with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A senior Israeli official said Netanyahu had also raised the civil nuclear agreement Washington recently signed with Saudi Arabia, part of a broader conversation about the regional order Trump hopes to build through an expansion of the Abraham Accords.

The visit also produced a notable show of support from an unexpected quarter. Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, met Netanyahu at Blair House and reaffirmed his backing for Israel. Fetterman said he was proud to stand with Israel through everything and described himself as the conscience of his party, taking aim at fellow Democrats over their posture toward the Jewish state. His comments came amid sharp intra party divisions, including hostility from New York City’s mayor, who has called for Netanyahu’s arrest should he visit for the United Nations General Assembly.

The backdrop remains grim and multifront. Israeli strikes continued in Gaza, where residents inspected the rubble of destroyed buildings, and American strikes hit an Iran aligned militia base in Mosul, Iraq. Plans for both Gaza and Lebanon have stalled as Hamas and Hezbollah refuse to disarm.

For Israel, the message from Washington was one of alignment on the goal of denying Iran nuclear weapons, paired with uncertainty over method and timing. Whether the coming days bring a return to strikes or a diplomatic push, the decision, Israeli officials acknowledge, now sits largely in Trump’s hands.

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