- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is seeking an urgent meeting with President Trump after a weekend Israeli strike on Beirut nearly derailed the US-Iran peace deal.
- Israel’s core fear: Iran could receive $24 billion in unfrozen assets without committing to destroy its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium — enough for roughly 11 nuclear weapons.
- Trump publicly criticized the Beirut strike and ordered Israel to halt Lebanon attacks; he also said “Bibi is OK with it” when asked about the Iran deal.
- Former Israeli officials say Netanyahu is partly playing domestic politics ahead of Israeli elections, using the Iran issue to shore up his right flank.
What Happened?
As the US and Iran moved toward finalizing a peace agreement, Israel found itself on the outside looking in — and alarmed. A weekend Israeli strike on Beirut came dangerously close to torpedoing the deal, prompting a sharp public rebuke from President Trump, who ordered Israel to stop attacks in Lebanon. Netanyahu is now urgently requesting a face-to-face meeting with Trump, seeking assurances that Israel’s security interests haven’t been traded away. The crux of Israeli anxiety: under the emerging deal’s terms, Iran would receive access to roughly $24 billion in previously frozen assets — a significant financial lifeline — but, as far as Israel can tell, without an ironclad commitment to destroy its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is sufficient to produce approximately 11 nuclear weapons.
Why It Matters?
For Israel, any deal that leaves Iran’s nuclear infrastructure intact is not a solution — it’s a delay. The distinction between “pausing” enrichment and “eliminating” the stockpile is existential from Jerusalem’s perspective. A financially rehabilitated Iran with a latent nuclear capability is arguably more dangerous than a sanctions-strained one. The episode also reveals the limits of Israel’s leverage with the Trump administration: Trump has signaled he wants the deal done, criticized Israeli military action that threatened it, and publicly suggested Netanyahu is on board even as Israeli officials signal otherwise. Former Israeli officials acknowledge Netanyahu is also navigating domestic political pressures, using the Iran issue to consolidate support with his right-wing base ahead of upcoming Israeli elections.
What’s Next?
A Trump-Netanyahu meeting is likely in the coming days, with Israel pushing for assurances on the nuclear stockpile and the conditions attached to Iran’s financial relief. Whether Trump will accommodate Israeli demands — or whether the deal’s momentum is too strong to alter — will define the next phase of Middle East diplomacy. Meanwhile, any further Israeli military action that disrupts the agreement could dramatically worsen US-Israel relations at a sensitive moment.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
