Antony Blinken: Israel tried to pressure Barack Obama to launch military strikes on Iran

[vanessa_ca]

Last edited Tue Mar 10, 2026, 08:34 AM - Edit history (1)

Israel tried to pressure Barack Obama to launch military strikes on Iran, according to former US secretary of state Antony Blinken, and that, under Biden, right after October 7, Israeli leaders warned they would attack themselves if U.S refused: "And we came within about 30 minutes of having a war."

Obama rejected calls for war, arguing that Iran’s nuclear program should be addressed through “very muscular diplomacy” supported by global sanctions, rather than immediate military action.

Blinken also said the United States came close to entering another regional conflict after the October 7 attacks. Israeli officials, he noted, provided inaccurate information claiming Hezbollah was preparing an imminent attack from Lebanon and urged a pre-emptive strike.

In the Epstein audio files, Epstein is heard complaining that Obama wouldn’t budge. He says Obama preferred to eat lunch alone and use that time to review intelligence and think things through. According to Epstein, they tried to use contacts they had inside the White House to persuade him, but Obama wouldn't budge. One of those contacts was probably Kathryn Ruemmler (principal deputy White House counsel and White House Counsel to President Barack Obama) who called Epstein "Uncle" and said "I adore him".

https://youtube.com/shorts/INZwofoO_cE?si=rckDPUqsev3dF3pk

[Torchlight]

1. As if I needed another reason to respect the gentelman President. nt

[wnylib]

11. A brilliant man with integrity and a strong moral compass.

[canetoad]

2. Jeez

How deep do the Epstein connections go? Kudos to Obama for not listening to him.

[niyad]

17. Deep and everywhere, apparently.

[Chasstev365]

3. And we still send aid to Benjamin Netanyahu's hateful right-wing government...

[BigmanPigman]

4. Why don't Bibi and Putin just get into a ring and duke it out between

each other and the rest of the world will be more than happy to get rid of both of them. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

[Bread and Circuses]

5. This needs to be on BLAST and US Needs to stop Military aid ASAP.

This country is no longer our friend!

US military being manipulated and taxpayer money is being given to bad actors.

$1 Billion or more a Day!

👉🏽Note: I am not antisemitic and I have always supported Israel’s right to exist. I wish peace for all people in the MidEast.
I respect all faiths and spiritual traditions.

[UTUSN]

6. Yip, KRASNOV didn't invent whatever, it's all been there before and after.

[KentuckyWoman]

10. DJT is for sale

He will break any agreement, betray any friend if the payoff is good. Not just monetary.

Add in the prospect of being able to delight in other people's suffering and death and he's all in.

[UTUSN]

13. And all he gets out of it is tacky interior decorating.

[niyad]

16. And MONEY!! LOTS OF MONEY!!!

[Figarosmom]

7. Israel has tried to manipulate us and Great Britain

For scores of years.

[niyad]

15. More like succeeding, especially now.

[dalton99a]

8. The U.S. has no business giving a dime to Israel. Let Netanyahu pay for his own wars.

[calimary]

20. THIS!!!

Haven’t we contributed enough by now?

[Maru Kitteh]

9. This will drive him buggy. Obama is such an unattainable goal for him.

Screaming in his head, every minute of every day. It’s just breathtaking sometimes.

[harumph]

12. look up Kathryn Ruemmler in wikipedia

She was white house counsel under Obama. She was very close to Epstein. It doesn't go into how she got into that position.
"Kathryn H. Ruemmler (born April 19, 1971) is an American attorney who was principal deputy White House counsel and then White House Counsel to President Barack Obama.[1] Previously a partner at Latham and Watkins co-chairing its white-collar defense group,[2] Ruemmler joined Goldman Sachs in 2020 and was Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.[3] She announced her resignation from this position in February 2026, effective at the end of June, over her links to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.[4][5][6]"

[newdeal2]

14. She seemed fine, on paper

At least based on her career mentioned here:

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/06/02/president-obama-announces-new-white-house-counsel-kathryn-ruemmler

Epstein made sure to make friends and allies with all the important people he’d need.

[harumph]

19. Epstein obviously cultivated her to get close to Obama.

Appalling. It looks like he didn't take any bait. Still just disgusting how far Epstein's spiderweb extended.

[Boo1]

18. The "Genocide Joe"

class is to blame for this.


Abandoning Kamala, and even supporting Trump instead. This is what they voted for.

[Buddyzbuddy]

21. They just waited until we had a gullible idiot in office.

Bush would've been perfect but Osama beat them to it.
Republicans seem to have an over abundance of useful idiots.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Note: The "within about 30 minutes of having a war" was about Israel attacking Hezbollah, after Oct 7

and was President Biden averting it, not the Israeli demand that President Obama attack Iran.

[vanessa_ca]

23. thank you very much. I edited -eom