Trump ‘chickened out’, fearing Iran’s response: Israeli Army Radio

After leveling direct threats against Iran, Washington has been criticized by Israeli media outlets for its reluctance to carry out planned military aggression against Iran.

The Israeli Army Radio reported that Pentagon officials feared a lack of sufficient US firepower in West Asia to counter an anticipated Iranian response to US military action. Similarly, the Israeli news website Zman described the dilemma facing US President Donald Trump as “far from simple,” noting that while he initially believed a decisive strike was possible, warnings suggested it could escalate into a full-scale confrontation.

Israeli media outlets invoked the TACO term, an acronym for “Trump Always Chickens Out” first coined on Wall Street to describe Trump’s pattern of making bold tariff threats only to later back down, to critique his decision‑making on Iran, framing it as another instance of hesitation under pressure rather than decisive leadership.

Israeli media outlets characterized the decision to delay military action, despite issuing direct and forceful threats, as reflective of Trump’s deeper misreading of geopolitical issues.