Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly ‘stunned’ after US President Donald Trump abruptly canceled planned strikes against Iran and announced that a diplomatic deal with Tehran could be signed within days.According to Axios, Netanyahu was not given advance notice before Trump publicly disclosed that he had called off further military action and that Iran’s leadership had approved a draft framework agreement.“Netanyahu was not warned in advance and was caught off guard when Trump issued his initial statement on the deal,” the report said.The unexpected announcement marked another twist in the increasingly complex relationship between the two leaders and highlighted growing differences over how to deal with Iran.The development comes as Washington is pushing for a negotiated solution while Israel argues that military pressure is necessary to prevent Iran from strengthening its regional position.Trump announced on Thursday that he had canceled planned strikes against Iran, after indicating that Tehran was ready to move forward with a draft deal.“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest levels of Iranian leadership and approved, I, as President of the United States, this evening have canceled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.The proposed framework reportedly includes extending the ceasefire, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and starting a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.Speaking to supporters afterward, Trump went even further, declaring that the United States has ‘effectively ended the war with Iran’ and emphasizing that Tehran has never agreed to develop or buy nuclear weapons.The announcement caught Israeli officials by surprise.Netanyahu had no prior warning before Trump issued his statement. According to the Axios report, sources familiar with the matter said the Israeli leader became aware of the developments only after Trump had already made it public.While Israel welcomed subsequent assurances that any final agreement would address Iran’s nuclear program, the lack of prior consultation highlighted tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv.“President Trump spoke this evening with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the emerging Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enter into negotiations with Iran,” Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office wrote in a post on Twitter.“Even though Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and ending Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region,” the post said.For months, Netanyahu has been deeply skeptical of diplomatic efforts with Iran.Israeli officials have repeatedly argued that Tehran uses the talks to buy time while advancing its military capabilities and continuing to support regional proxy groups.Netanyahu has urged Trump to proceed with planned strikes against Iranian targets rather than maintain military pressure and pause the campaign for diplomacy, CNN and Axios reported.
How do you see relations between Trump and Netanyahu after this incident?
During a recent phone conversation between the two leaders, Netanyahu reportedly argued that delaying military action was a mistake and warned that Iran was engaging in diplomatic ‘foot-dragging’.Israel’s position has been that only sustained pressure can extract meaningful concessions from Tehran.
A relationship that is showing signs of strain
Despite regularly describing each other as close allies, Trump and Netanyahu have experienced a series of disagreements in recent months.The most public controversy emerged regarding Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon.Trump became frustrated that Israeli strikes against Hezbollah were complicating broader diplomatic efforts involving Iran and the Gulf states. According to reports, the US President used unusually strong language during a phone conversation with Netanyahu and accused him of undermining the talks.Trump later acknowledged that the conversation was heated and said he was “troubled” by Israel’s continued military actions.Trump said, “I was a little troubled by his constant fighting with Lebanon.” However, the US President also emphasized that his relationship with Netanyahu will remain strong. “We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi very much. And I work very well with her,” Trump said.However, Netanyahu tried to downplay the disagreement.Speaking to CNBC, he described the tensions as tactical differences rather than fundamental disagreements.“Sometimes we have strategic disagreements. But we always find a way to overcome them,” Netanyahu said.He stressed that both leaders are committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump is increasingly claiming control
The recent Iran talks have also revealed the growing imbalance in relations.Trump has repeatedly made it clear that Washington, not Tel Aviv, will decide the direction of talks with Tehran.In an interview with the Financial Times earlier this week, Trump rejected suggestions that Netanyahu could block the US-Iran deal.“He won’t have a choice. I make the decisions. He doesn’t make the decisions,” Trump said.Read this also ‘I make the decisions’: Trump insists on getting Iran deal back on track amid latest attacks, says Netanyahu has ‘no choice’The comment was one of the clearest signals yet that the White House intends to pursue its diplomatic strategy regardless of Israel’s objections.Whereas previous US administrations often coordinated closely with Israel on Iran policy, Trump has portrayed himself as the final decision-maker.
Iran remains alert
Adding to the uncertainty, Iran has not fully accepted Trump’s optimistic assessment.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai said reports of a final agreement were ‘mere speculation’ and stressed that Tehran had not yet reached a final decision, state news agency IRNA reported.He said Qatar and Pakistan were “active as mediators”, but added that “US actions are hampering the diplomatic process”.“From the very beginning, the negotiating position was clear to us, and a large part of the text had already been finalized. However, the Americans kept changing their position,” Baghai said, as reported by IRNA and quoted by CNN.He stressed that Iran “has proven that it does not compromise on what it has defined as its red lines” and confirmed, “So far, Iran has not reached a final decision regarding any agreement.”
what happens next?
Trump has said a memorandum of understanding could be signed in Europe this weekend, with Vice President J.D. Vance expected to lead the US delegation.Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said, “We just made a big war deal with Iran, and we’re going to finalize the documents. We should get that done in the next few days. We’ll probably have a signing, probably in Europe. When oil goes down, everything else comes down.”Trump also said Iran had agreed to permanently give up the development or acquisition of nuclear weapons under the proposed arrangement.He added, “They will not have a nuclear weapon. They have agreed to it. It won’t happen, which is the whole reason, which is a big part of the reason. They will not only not have a nuclear weapon, they will not buy a nuclear weapon, nor develop, shape or make a nuclear weapon in any way, in any shape. They will not have a nuclear weapon.”He described the proposed arrangement as beneficial to both Washington and the broader region, while emphasizing that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is a central objective.Trump said, “Because they (Iran) have taken a tougher stance than very few people could take, and they’re willing to compromise more than I am. We could have done it another way, but it would have taken longer. As you know, they’ve been hit very hard recently. And I don’t like doing things that way, but I thought it was necessary. It’s a great thing for America and the Middle East, and I think it’s ultimately great for Iran because They will be able to build their country.” Said.