ByAMICHAI STEINJUNE 9, 2026 22:10Updated: JUNE 9, 2026 22:21There is growing concern in Jerusalem that US President Donald Trump might not give Israel the green light to respond to Iranian attacks, even with a limited or symbolic strike.Israel might find itself in a situation where it has to confront Iran alone, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday at a meeting of the security cabinet.“We may have to strike without American backing, despite all the costs involved,” he said. “We do not want to reach that point, but we know we are capable of it.”During a phone call with Netanyahu on Sunday evening, following the Iranian ballistic-missile attack, Trump did not explicitly say, “Don’t,” regarding an Israeli response, but he conveyed that he wanted a measured reaction.“We are close to an agreement,” Trump told Netanyahu during the phone call.US President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, December 29, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)Later that evening, Israel struck several targets, including radar systems, air-defense batteries, weapons-production facilities, and a petrochemical plant.On Monday, Israel had planned a much broader attack on Iran, involving about 50 aircraft and targeting a wide range of sites. The process of giving the strike a green light was about to begin when Trump spoke with Netanyahu and clarified that Tehran had sent a message saying it had stopped firing. He also made clear his opposition to a large-scale Israeli attack, which ultimately led to the operation being canceled.Main concern is that Trump prioritizes diplomacyThe concern in Israel is that, given Trump’s desire for a diplomatic agreement, he might oppose even a symbolic strike the next time tensions escalate.“At the beginning of the week, there was noticeable progress between Tehran and Washington regarding a possible agreement,” a person familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post.Trump told reporters an agreement with Iran could be signed “within the next two to three days.”Trump is frustrated by his inability to establish direct contact with Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and by the way the Iranian side is handling the negotiations, The New York Times reported.Trump has repeatedly backed away from conditions that had already been agreed upon by his negotiating team, the report cited two mediators and another source familiar with the matter as saying.At Sunday’s cabinet meeting, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said the military believes almost any deal with Iran would be a bad agreement.Earlier on Sunday, US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News: “Israel may like [the agreement we will sign]. They may not like that this is in the best interest of the United States of America.”Follow us on Google