Bob Woodward’s Book Reveals White House-Iran Communications During Israel Conflicts
Bob Woodward’s new book "War," published by Yedioth Books, offers a comprehensive insider view of the recent conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine from the White House perspective rather than the combatants'. It reveals sensitive behind-the-scenes interactions between the U.S. administration and Iran during Israel’s wars, highlighting the complex dynamics involving Israel, the U.S., and Iran.
The book details how the Biden White House maintained secret communications with Iran’s leadership, even amid active hostilities involving Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. For example, on October 11, 2023, shortly after the Simchat Torah conflict, U.S. National Security Council advisor Brett McGurk received a message from Iran via a Norwegian intermediary stating Iran did not want to escalate the conflict. This message influenced U.S. restraint on Israeli military actions against Hezbollah.
Woodward also recounts the April 1, 2024 Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and others. Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Michael Herzog, informed McGurk of the strike, which the U.S. denied prior knowledge of, despite Iran blaming the U.S. for the attack. The U.S. publicly distanced itself from the strike, allowing Iran to justify retaliatory attacks on Israel, which occurred on April 13-14 with drone, ballistic missile, and cruise missile strikes. Israel responded with an attack in Isfahan, Iran, on April 19.
Woodward also exposes President Joe Biden’s hostile private views of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a "fucking bad man" who cares only about himself and not Hamas. Biden was reportedly shocked that Netanyahu’s leadership survived the conflict and questioned why there was no internal Israeli revolt against him. The book highlights Biden’s threats to halt U.S. military aid to Israel over its Gaza operations and his disbelief at the Israeli consensus to eliminate Hamas after the Simchat Torah massacre.
The book underscores the fragile and complicated nature of U.S.-Israel-Iran relations during wartime and suggests that future U.S. administrations, likely Democratic, may shift the nature of these alliances. It calls for Israeli public awareness of these dynamics to better understand past decisions and prepare for future geopolitical shifts.
