Donald Trump’s biographer Michael Wolff has a theory about who might have influenced the president in deciding to conduct military strikes in Iran. The Trump administration provided no clear explanation before launching the attack, which is now being called Operation Epic Fury, and even some Republicans were surprised by the sudden move.
Wolff has stated that he believes the 79-year-old might be listening to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is neither a military general nor a part of the Cabinet. In a recent episode of the podcast Inside Trump’s Head, the biographer said, “He has consulted with nobody. Nobody knows what is going on. Literally zero.”
The two individuals negotiating for the U.S. in Middle East talks under the second Trump administration, who have significant real estate and financial ties to the region, are Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

As of early 2026, they are central to negotiations concerning Iran,…
— Linda Hill (@bulldoghill) March 4, 2026
Wolf claimed, “I think Jared Kushner knows what’s going on. I think he’s the only person truly inside Trump’s head. I think he is the person who Trump most turns to on this, probably the only person Trump listens to.” He called Kushner the “brains of this operation.”
Kushner worked as a senior advisor for Trump during the latter’s first presidential term. While he does not have an official role this time, he reportedly still is one of Trump’s favorite diplomat. According to Wolff, Kushner works to fulfill Trump’s personal goals, such as making profitable business deals.
As a result, Trump trusted Kushner to handle the Iranian negotiator in Geneva. However, many people criticized the decision to send Kushner as an envoy to discuss diplomatic solutions with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi instead of a real diplomat.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi served as the mediator during the negotiation. The meeting was meant to avoid military action against Iran, but it didn’t work.
Actor Mark Ruffalo openly called out Trump over this decision, as he stated, “He was sent to make sure we went to war.”
BREAKING: In a stunning admission, Karoline Leavitt says that Trump’s decision to strike Iran was based on his “feeling” that Iran posed an imminent and direct threat to the United States.
Trump got us into a war because the vibes were off.
pic.twitter.com/ZOsrtUedyX
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) March 4, 2026
As of now, Trump has not announced any long-term plans for the future of Iran. Moreover, the president stated that the war would last four weeks, but did not explain any strategy for potential de-escalation. Many experts feel that Trump does not have a clear plan on implementing strategies to end the conflict.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently said, “(Trump) had a good feeling that the Iranian regime was going to strike,” about Trump’s decision to strike Iran.
Wolff also pointed out that Trump’s goals involve real estate, oil and financial resources, which is why he is close to Kushner, who has ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
