Jerusalem —
When Israeli and American fighter jets struck Iran in unison on February 28, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated each other’s “historic decisions.” The alliance between the two countries, Netanyahu told Israelis, had never been closer.
Three months later, what began as a joint military campaign appears to be ending as an American-led diplomatic process in which Netanyahu finds himself largely sidelined.
The Israeli prime minister has refrained from openly criticizing Trump, but behind closed doors, Israeli sources say, he has acknowledged Israel has limited influence on the outcome of US-Iran negotiations to end the war.
Since the initial ceasefire was announced in April, Netanyahu repeatedly pressed Trump to resume full-scale military operations, arguing that sustained pressure could still lead to the collapse of the Iranian regime. But the White House appears to have moved in the opposite direction.
