Continued The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, before Israel even existed. Washington helped overthrow the government of Iran in 1953, invaded Iraq in 2003, occupied Afghanistan for two decades, and led the initial international military intervention in Libya in 2011 under both Republican and Democratic leadership.
These interventions were not only dictated by Israel, but they reflect the strategic, military, economic and geopolitical ambitions of Washington itself. Israel's influence is significant, and that cannot be denied. The Israeli lobby, the billions in American military aid and the ideological formation strengthen the alliance.
But portraying Trump or Washington as powerless against Netanyahu risks exonerating American political leaders from their decisions and shielding them from responsibility. Christian Zionism, US militarism, powerful security interests and the pursuit of American dominance are not mutually exclusive. The big US defense contractors, who work to back up Washington, have made more than $2 trillion in government funds since 2001, and a war with Iran would be another addition to their wealth.
While Washington continues to pursue the confrontation with Iran, it is not really about who influences Trump, over the empire, but rather who continues to a large extent the foreign policy of his predecessors. This is why the United States has repeatedly opted for military intervention, under both Republicans and Democrats.