Trump Pursues Peace Over Provocation, Tensions Rise with Netanyahu Over Iran Strategy
A major geopolitical rift is emerging between Washington and Jerusalem as President Donald J. Trump pushes for a historic nuclear deal with Iran—one that Israeli officials fear could undercut their security strategy. The flashpoint? A sudden and unanticipated ceasefire agreement between the United States and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
According to Axios, Israeli officials were “shocked” by the truce, which halts U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis following their offer to cease hostilities. “They don’t want to fight anymore,” Trump said Tuesday, confirming that U.S. vessels would no longer be engaged in conflict in the Red Sea or Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Trump’s pivot away from confrontation marks a striking divergence from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hawkish stance. Netanyahu had reportedly hoped to draw the U.S. closer to military engagement with Iran ahead of critical nuclear negotiations. But Trump appears unmoved by the pressure, instead signaling a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran may be imminent.
Private Talks, Public Fallout
The tension was underscored during a closed-door meeting Thursday between Trump and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. While Dermer also met with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, the mood was far from celebratory.
Notably, Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates next week—key players in the region’s evolving power dynamics—but has no plans to stop in Israel. This decision follows reported frustrations with Netanyahu’s reluctance to make necessary concessions for regional peace, including normalization talks with the Saudis.
“I’m going to make progress without waiting for Israel,” Trump allegedly told confidants, according to Israel Hayom. His vision for the Middle East, sources say, doesn’t include being dragged into another war.
Netanyahu’s Push for War Rejected
Trump’s growing disappointment with Netanyahu centers on what insiders describe as an attempted pressure campaign to draw the U.S. into a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. That pressure reportedly contributed to the ousting of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who supported Netanyahu’s militant approach and clashed with Trump over diplomacy-first strategies.
One administration insider told the Washington Post that Waltz “wanted to take U.S. policy in a direction Trump wasn’t comfortable with,” while another noted that he had inappropriately added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg—a known Trump critic—to a secure Signal group chat regarding classified operations.
Waltz’s replacement remains unnamed, but Trump has announced plans to nominate him as the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations—a move that some view as a graceful exit from a now-discordant security post.
A Major Announcement Looms
As Trump prepares to travel to the Middle East, he has teased a “very, very big announcement” related to the region’s future. Observers speculate it could involve a groundbreaking Iran nuclear framework, a trilateral accord involving Gulf states, or a wider peace blueprint that bypasses Israeli roadblocks.
Meanwhile, Israeli leadership is doubling down on self-reliance, with Netanyahu’s cabinet emphasizing that “Israel can defend itself by itself.” But behind the scenes, concern is growing over what a sidelined Israel means for the nation’s leverage in the evolving Trump doctrine.
One thing is clear: the White House is recalibrating. And Israel’s longstanding influence over U.S. military posture in the Middle East may never be the same.