Benjamin Netanyahu is confronting the prospect of Israel acting alone against Iran after Donald Trump's ceasefire deal with Tehran, marking a sharp deterioration in relations between the two allies. The Israeli prime minister, who once boasted of a close bond with the US president, now faces public criticism and profanity-laced rebukes from Trump.
Speaking on Monday, Netanyahu acknowledged disagreements with Trump, saying, 'There are cases in which President Trump and I do not see eye to eye.' He urged critics to wait for details of the agreement, which reportedly includes the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
Trump has openly disparaged Netanyahu, telling Axios he was 'so pissed off' and accusing the Israeli leader of having 'no fucking judgment'. He also criticised Israeli strikes in Lebanon, saying, 'You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody.'
The ceasefire deal, which Trump has championed as a way to exit the war he launched earlier this year, leaves Netanyahu politically exposed. He faces a tough re-election campaign in the autumn, with no clear victory in Gaza, Lebanon, or Iran to point to. Analysts say Trump's leverage over Netanyahu is unprecedented.
US officials have said Israeli forces will not be forced to withdraw from southern Lebanon and retain the right to self-defence. However, Washington is privately urging restraint to avoid derailing the ceasefire. The strategic interests of the US and Israel are diverging as Trump relies on Gulf intermediaries and Pakistan to broker peace.
