Report: Israel will try to sabotage efforts to reach an agreement with Iran

The intelligence agencies of the United States have warned the Trump administration that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to take steps that could harm President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach a long-term agreement with Iran. This was reported in the “Washington Post”, which quoted American officials and is based on American intelligence reports that were distributed this week. According to the report, it is estimated that Netanyahu is determined to continue fighting in Lebanon for security reasons, but also for political reasons, including the upcoming elections.

According to the report, American intelligence estimates that Netanyahu’s political survival ahead of the expected elections in Israel is linked to the continuation of the fighting in Lebanon. A new American intelligence report states that ahead of the elections in the fall, Netanyahu’s political survival depends on him proving to the Israeli public that he will not withdraw his forces from Lebanon and that he intends to continue and intensify the fighting against Hezbollah

According to one of the sources, any withdrawal of the IDF from southern Lebanon or a cessation of hostilities will be perceived by the Israeli public as a loss for the prime minister, and therefore it is estimated that he will continue with an aggressive policy against Hezbollah. According to the article, the majority of the public in Israel supports the escalation of the fight against the organization.

At the same time, according to American sources, Israel has a substantial reservation to the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. According to the report, Jerusalem believes that the agreement may limit Israel’s freedom of action vis-à-vis Hezbollah and harm the policy of exerting maximum pressure on Iran. It is further argued that as far as Israel is concerned, the continuation of the military presence in southern Lebanon is essential to removing the threat to the settlements in the north.

According to the “Washington Post”, the Trump administration believes that the expansion of fighting in Lebanon could collapse the agreement with Iran and harm the United States’ efforts to stabilize the region. However, officials in the administration emphasized that the understandings do not prevent Israel from responding if attacked by Hezbollah, but are intended to prevent an escalation that would endanger the agreement.

The report stated that for the American administration, the completion of the agreement and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz are more important than the continuation of the fighting in Lebanon. It is also claimed that as long as Israel continues to maintain forces in southern Lebanon, the fear of renewed fighting against Hezbollah and the breakdown of understanding between Washington and Tehran is increasing.

The article also describes the worsening of tensions between Trump and Netanyahu regarding the fighting in Lebanon. According to the report, Trump asked the Prime Minister not to escalate the attacks in Beirut, fearing that this would harm contacts with Iran. It was also claimed that one of their last conversations was one of the most tense since Trump returned to the White House.

In an interview with the Axios website, Trump said that his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “good”, but added that “we need to keep him a little sane”. When asked if he could prevent Israel from escalating the attacks in Lebanon, he replied: “Yes. They respect me a lot and they do what I say.”

Later in the interview, Trump said that Netanyahu “worked well with me”, and emphasized the part of the United States in Israel’s military capabilities. “We are the ones who have the weapons, we are the ones who have all the capabilities, we are the ones who have the bombers,” he said. Trump added that “if it weren’t for Donald Trump, Israel would have been slaughtered.”