Report: U.S. Intelligence Warned Trump of Netanyahu's Bid to Undermine the Agreement with Iran

SadaNews - U.S. intelligence warned President Donald Trump's administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may take steps that would undermine efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement with Iran, amid internal political pressures pushing him to continue the war on Lebanon, according to current and former U.S. officials.

A report by the American "Washington Post" stated that Israel appears determined to continue its military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which contradicts a key provision of the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran, calling for an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.

This comes at a time when tensions are escalating between Netanyahu's government and Trump administration officials, who have publicly warned Israel against launching attacks on Lebanon that could jeopardize the agreement with Iran.

The report indicates that if Netanyahu escalates military operations in Lebanon, he would not only threaten the framework upon which the agreement was built and signed on Wednesday but could also severely shake his relationship with the American president.

According to a U.S. intelligence report circulated this week, Netanyahu believes that his political survival as elections approach is linked to showing his unwillingness to withdraw troops from Lebanon and his readiness to escalate confrontations with Hezbollah. The report concludes that Netanyahu's political survival, given the elections scheduled for this fall, depends on demonstrating to the Israeli public that he will not withdraw troops from Lebanon and that he will continue to escalate the fight against Hezbollah, according to a U.S. official familiar with the report.

The report points out that Israel is dissatisfied with the terms of the U.S.-Iranian memorandum of understanding, as they undermine its goal of continuing to exert maximum pressure on Tehran. It also believes that the agreement may constrain its ability to act against Hezbollah, according to current and former U.S. officials.

Meanwhile, Trump administration officials confirmed that the agreement does not prevent Israel from responding if it comes under attack, but they emphasized that finalizing the agreement and reopening the Strait of Hormuz are priorities.

Conversely, the report quoted an Israeli official as saying that military operations in Lebanon are aimed solely at protecting northern residents from Hezbollah attacks, while Netanyahu reiterated that the army will remain in the buffer zone inside Lebanon as long as necessary.

The report also indicated that the continued Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon could lead to the collapse of the agreement between Washington and Tehran, and that any Israeli withdrawal would be perceived internally in Israel as a political defeat for Netanyahu.

It concluded by noting that the Trump administration has tools to pressure Israel, such as restricting arms supplies or sharing intelligence information; however, American presidents have rarely used such tools directly against Israel, despite limited historical precedents.

A U.S. official stated that even if Israel does not expand its military operations by bombing the southern suburbs of Beirut, its refusal to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon would be sufficient to thwart the agreement between the United States and Iran. He added, "The continued occupation of part of Lebanon is a recipe for disaster. Without a complete Israeli withdrawal, the resumption of confrontations between the Israeli army and Hezbollah is nearly inevitable."