US intelligence agencies have warned the Donald Trump administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could take steps that undermine the recently
brokered peace arrangement with Iran, even as Trump publicly praised him as a "warrior prime minister" and insisted he retains significant influence over Israel's actions. According to a report by The Washington Post, citing current and former US officials, intelligence assessments indicate that Israel remains determined to continue military operations against Hezbollah and maintain pressure on Iran despite the terms of the Trump-backed peace memorandum. The intelligence warning comes amid growing political pressures on Netanyahu ahead of national elections later this year. US officials cited by the report said Netanyahu's political survival is increasingly tied to projecting strength at home, including maintaining Israeli troop deployments in Lebanon and pursuing an aggressive stance against Hezbollah. The report also noted frustration within the Israeli leadership over elements of the Trump peace deal, which are seen as limiting Israel's broader objective of sustaining maximum pressure on Iran.
'Bibi is a warrior PM': Trump
Yet, despite reports of friction between Washington and Jerusalem, Trump backed Netanyahu on Saturday while speaking near Washington after unveiling a replacement Air Force One aircraft gifted by Qatar.
"Obviously we fought very well with Israel, and we've had a great relationship with Israel. We were very formidable. And Bibi Netanyahu, he's a warrior prime minister, and he should be acknowledged as that," Trump said, referring to the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran launched on February 28.
In a separate interview with Axios, Trump described his relationship with Netanyahu as strong but closely managed.
"It's good, but we have to keep him a little bit sane," Trump said, before asserting that he could influence Israeli military decisions in the region.
Asked whether he could restrain potential Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Trump replied: "Yeah, I will be. I mean, they have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say."
Centred around 14 points, the Iran-US deal includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a requirement that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, a $300 billion plan for Iran's "reconstruction", and the US terminating "all types of sanctions" on Iran.
