Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House on Feb. 11 with a plan to reshape the Middle East - and a theatrical presentation designed to sell it. In the Situation Room, rarely used for in-person meetings with foreign leaders, the Israeli prime minister staged what amounted to a wartime pitch, with the director of Mossad and Israeli military officials appearing on large screens behind him as he sat across from Donald Trump, "Hvylya" reports, citing a detailed account by the New York Times.
The presentation lasted roughly an hour. Netanyahu argued that Iran was ripe for regime change and that a joint U.S.-Israeli mission could bring down the Islamic Republic. At one point, the Israelis played a brief video for Trump featuring a montage of potential new leaders, including Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, who has positioned himself as a secular alternative to the theocratic government.
Netanyahu and his team laid out conditions they described as pointing to near-certain victory: Iran's ballistic missile program could be destroyed within weeks, the regime would be too weakened to choke off the Strait of Hormuz, and the likelihood of serious retaliation against American interests was minimal. Mossad's intelligence suggested street protests would resume inside Iran, and that an intense bombing campaign could foster conditions for the opposition to overthrow the regime.
The Israeli prime minister delivered his pitch in what attendees described as a confident monotone. When he finished, Trump told him: "Sounds good to me." To Netanyahu, that signaled a likely green light for a joint operation. Trump's advisers in the room reached a similar conclusion - the president had been deeply impressed by the promises of what Israeli intelligence and military services could deliver.
The meeting had been kept deliberately small to guard against leaks. Other top cabinet secretaries had no idea it was happening. Vice President JD Vance, who would emerge as the strongest internal opponent of the war, was in Azerbaijan and could not return in time. The only Americans present were Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Jared Kushner, and envoy Steve Witkoff.
Netanyahu also made a broader strategic argument during a separate session in the Cabinet Room. He acknowledged the risks of military action but insisted that the price of inaction was greater - every month of delay gave Iran more time to accelerate missile production and build a shield around its nuclear program.
"Hvylya" has also explored why the Middle East's deeper problems may outlast regime change in Tehran.