Why Netanyahu wants to wreck Trump's Iran deal
AI Summary
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes a US-Iran ceasefire deal, viewing any settlement that leaves Iran intact as defeat. Netanyahu's approach involves continued military and political escalation to establish Israeli regional dominance, despite growing anti-intervention sentiment in the US.
Why Netanyahu wants to wreck Trump's Iran deal Sami Al-Arian on Tue, 06/02/2026 - 16:55 As Washington and Tehran edge towards a ceasefire, the Israeli prime minister is determined to sink it, believing any settlement that leaves Iran standing amounts to defeat A protester holds a placard depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a demonstration in Milan on 21 May 2026 (Piero Cruciatti/AFP) On Israeli prime minister and indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu does not adapt to imposed realities. He tries to smash them through brute force, permanent escalation and manufactured crises. Throughout his career, war has been a favoured strategic instrument for preserving Israeli supremacy and his own political survival. Most recently, his priority is to prevent US President Donald Trump from signing a near-complete memorandum of understanding with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Should diplomacy prevail, he will deploy every political, military, diplomatic, media and lobbying tool to sabotage it. His obsession with what he calls "absolute victory" reflects a rigid doctrine that rejects compromise. No settlement is acceptable to him unless it disarms Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, dismantles Hezbollah in Lebanon, and ends in the neutralisation or destruction of the Iranian state itself. His horizon extends well past temporary ceasefires to the end of all resistance and a region restructured around Israeli dominance under American protection. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The wars across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran were never isolated confrontations. They are part of a single offensive to establish "Greater Israel" and consolidate Israeli regional hegemony. Netanyahu knows these goals remain unfulfilled despite vast destruction. Rather than prompting a rethink, that failure has convinced him the problem is an insufficient application of force, not the objectives themselves. For him, the war is far from over, and what force could not achieve yesterday becomes the target of wider escalation tomorrow. Having already drawn Trump into earlier confrontations with Iran, Netanyahu appears convinced he can pull the lever again - this time aiming past a limited strike for a decisive, total war that permanently shifts the regional balance of power. A divided home front Trump faces a more complicated reality. He may believe earlier confrontations weakened Iran and the axis of resistance, but the political landscape is shifting fast at home and abroad. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Domestically, a growing share of the public openly questions the wisdom of these wars. Recent polling shows support for prolonged Middle Eastern entanglements falling steeply, alongside deep scepticism of "forever wars" seen as serving foreign agendas rather than American interests. This anti-interventionist sentiment has crossed party lines and is fracturing Trump's own coalition. Influential voices around the Maga movement, including political commentators Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly and Joe Rogan, have questioned policies that subordinate American blood and treasure to Netanyahu's agenda. More Americans are asking why the US should bear the economic, military and political costs of another regional war for a foreign power, with vague aims and doubtful benefits The campaign to unseat Congressman Thomas Massie and other non-interventionist conservatives who question pro-Israel policies reflects these tensions. More Americans are asking why the US should bear the economic, military and political costs of another regional war for a foreign power, with vague aims and doubtful benefits. These questions sharpen amid mounting economic strain. Energy markets remain vulnerable, and inflationary pressures are rising again. Petrol prices have become a political landmine: reports in early May put the national average near $4.50 a gallon, up sharply from the sub-$3 level before the war. Driven by energy costs and supply chain disruptions, inflation has accelerated, weakening consumer confidence and turning the economic mood toxic for the White House. Trump knows foreign adventures cannot be detached from domestic realities, and with the midterms approaching, blunders carry immediate consequences. Both the House and the Senate are within reach of Democratic majorities. If he loses Congress, the rest of his presidency will be paralysed, and the threat of impeachment will return to the centre of Washington politics. What Hormuz exposed Internationally, the pressures are even more severe. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz transformed the strategic landscape. Before the attacks intensified after 28 February, Hormuz was the vital maritime artery of global energy, carrying about a fifth of the world's oil flows and liquefied natural gas trade, with Qatar's LNG exports acutely exposed. Its disruption laid ba