U.S. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday evening with news he did not want to hear: he expected to sign a deal with Iran within days, Axios reports, according to UNN.
Details
"It's a deal. It's a great deal, and it's time to end this war," Trump told Netanyahu, according to a senior U.S. official.
When Netanyahu "went to war" alongside Trump, he did not imagine it ending this way, the publication notes.
Netanyahu made it clear from the beginning that he believed the war could stimulate regime change in Tehran.
Now, four months before the elections, Netanyahu's rivals accuse him of turning Israel into a "vassal state" by simply accepting Trump's peace terms.
Some in Washington believe Netanyahu could play the role of a spoiler even if a deal is reached, the publication notes.
But during the conversation with Trump, Netanyahu seemed to realize he could not prevent Trump from signing it, a U.S. official told Axios.
Currently, officials in both Tehran and Washington say a deal is close to being finalized but is not yet concluded.
"As the exchange with Iran intensified earlier this week, Netanyahu was planning to launch massive strikes on energy and infrastructure facilities before Trump stopped him at the last minute. Since then, Netanyahu has been virtually out of the loop, calling allies in Washington to get information about Trump's negotiations," said a U.S. source with direct knowledge.
According to an informed source, Trump's post on Thursday, in which he claimed a deal had been reached, caught Netanyahu by surprise.
When Trump called an hour later, Netanyahu did not offer much resistance or argue, according to the U.S. official.
The Israeli leader told Trump he trusted him to ensure that the final deal addressed their shared concerns regarding Iran's nuclear program.
"Bibi likely realized that the deal was about to happen and that he couldn't stop it," the U.S. official said.
Netanyahu and other Israeli officials are careful not to criticize Trump publicly, but privately they are very skeptical of the upcoming deal, the publication writes.
One concern is that after the deal is signed and the war ends, Iran might simply drag out negotiations without making real nuclear concessions. Meanwhile, according to the theory, the Iranian government would be able to stabilize by selling oil without the risk of war.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on Friday that Trump seeks to conclude a deal "based on his assessment of American interests," but Israel expects him to adhere to shared "principles" regarding Iran's nuclear program, missiles, and "terrorist proxies." Katz also asserted that Israel maintains the "ability to act independently to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons" and will prepare accordingly.
Israeli officials are also concerned that because the ceasefire in the deal extends to Lebanon, the Trump administration will limit their freedom of action against Hezbollah and require consultations for every strike.
"I understand Israeli skepticism. Hezbollah has killed many innocent Israelis, especially Israeli civilians. Therefore, we do not expect any country to waive its right to self-defense. We expect that if we can bring everyone into the peace process, everyone else will do the same," a senior U.S. official said at a press briefing on Friday.
The official said the White House is "confident" that ultimately the Israelis will "accept the deal."
On Friday morning, when Iranian state media claimed the deal would immediately give Iran billions of dollars, concerned Israeli officials reached out to the White House for clarification, a U.S. official said. U.S. officials assured the Israelis that Iranian reports mischaracterized the deal. "We feel that when they see the full terms of the deal, and when they understand that the Iranians have to do their job before we provide any benefits, then they will be okay with it," the senior U.S. official said.
Events in Lebanon, the publication writes, are one of the factors that could destabilize the deal. Israeli troops still occupy a significant part of southern Lebanon and continue to exchange cross-border strikes with Hezbollah.
A senior U.S. official stated that if Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel and Iran continues to arm the militant group, it would contradict the agreement.
"For Netanyahu, co-signing a deal to end the war without achieving stated goals would be a major strategic and political blow," the publication concludes.
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