Trump’s Iran Airstrike Decision Guided by Kushner and Witkoff Advice

Published: 24 February 2026

The English Chronicle Desk

The English Chronicle Online

U.S. President **Donald Trump’s deliberations over whether to order airstrikes against Iran are reportedly being shaped heavily by guidance from his close envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, according to multiple sources familiar with internal discussions. In negotiations in Geneva this week, Kushner and Witkoff — not traditional national security officials — are leading talks with Iranian counterparts aimed at determining whether Tehran is deliberately stalling on a nuclear agreement that would prevent a military strike.

The situation has put unusual figures at the forefront of a decision with potentially major geopolitical consequences. Kushner, Trump’s son‑in‑law and former senior advisor, and Witkoff, a real estate magnate serving as a special envoy, are reportedly evaluating Iranian responses and feeding assessments back to the president. Their role marks an atypical reliance on political aides rather than career diplomats or military strategists in shaping deliberations over the use of force.

Trump has publicly stated he prefers a negotiated settlement but has signalled willingness to take military action if talks fail. The advisers are said to be framing their recommendations around whether Iran will abandon enrichment of uranium that could enable the development of nuclear weapons, a core U.S. objective. A final decision on airstrikes could hinge on the outcome of the Geneva talks and whether Tehran’s next counterproposal meets U.S. demands.

The involvement of Kushner and Witkoff has drawn attention given their lack of formal military or nuclear policy expertise, with analysts noting that their influence reflects Trump’s broader pattern of prioritizing trusted personal aides in critical foreign policy decisions. Some U.S. officials have encouraged cautious diplomacy, pointing to high risks associated with military action against Iran’s sophisticated defense apparatus, while Iran has warned of a forceful response should the United States attack.

As tensions escalate, Tehran continues to resist calls to freeze its nuclear programme, raising the stakes for any decision on U.S. use of force. Trump’s ticket through these calculations — shaped in part by Kushner and Witkoff’s assessments — will reverberate both within Washington and across the Middle East.

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