Netanyahu and Trump are at odds over the war they started together
[June 09, 2026]
By JULIA FRANKEL and AAMER MADHANI
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon and Iran have made
clear that U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, who started the war in lockstep, want different
things.
Trump had publicly warned Israel not to strike Beirut in its war with
Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. When it did, on Sunday, Iran responded
by firing ballistic missiles at Israel for the first time since the
April ceasefire. Israel then struck Iran, with which Trump has been
engaged in weeks of high-stakes negotiations.
The fighting has since died down, but the differences between the two
leaders are likely to persist.
That's because Trump, whose party faces elections later this year, wants
to wind down an unpopular war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ease
gas prices. Iran says a full ceasefire in Lebanon is key to any deal.
Netanyahu, who also faces elections this year, is under pressure to stop
Hezbollah's attacks and prove that he is winning the war with Iran and
its allies. He also needs to manage relations with Israel's most
important ally without appearing to kowtow to it.
Political considerations push in opposite directions
When the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, the allies
appeared shoulder to shoulder.
Netanyahu said the goal was to degrade the Islamic Republic’s military,
eradicate its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and topple its
government. Trump announced the death of Iran's supreme leader in the
opening barrage and urged Iranians to “take back” their country.
But it soon became clear that while Trump was seeking a quick win — like
the one he secured in Venezuela — Netanyahu wanted to vanquish Iran and
its allies, even if it required an extended conflict.
As Iran withstood weeks of heavy strikes and kept the Strait of Hormuz
closed, Americans and Israelis grew increasingly frustrated — but for
different reasons.
In the U.S., the price of gas and other goods soared as even some
erstwhile supporters accused Trump of breaking a campaign promise and
plunging the U.S. into another Mideast quagmire. He has pushed back
against those critics as rising anger threatens Republicans in
November's congressional elections.
In Israel, anger grew over Netanyahu's failure to secure a lasting
victory in the wars sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack, which
happened on his watch. More than two years on, Hamas still rules part of
Gaza, Hezbollah still fires rockets and Iran's government and nuclear
program remain intact, despite heavy losses.
Israel's bombardment of Lebanon strains relations
The collision course runs through Lebanon, where fighting still rages
between Israel and Hezbollah despite ceasefire announcements.
Iran wants Lebanon included in any wider regional truce, a demand Trump
seems to have accepted in order to get a deal. Iran has threatened to
attack Israel again if it keeps striking Lebanon.
Israel is determined to keep the theaters separate and continue its
campaign in Lebanon, where it has occupied large swaths of the south,
until the threat from Hezbollah has been eliminated.
The tensions spilled into the open last week, when Trump acknowledged
holding a tense call with Netanyahu about Lebanon. He admitted to using
expletives and calling the Israeli leader “crazy,” saying he'd grown
frustrated that Israel's war on Hezbollah threatened the Iran talks.
In a series of interviews, Trump made clear that he was not happy about
Israel’s Sunday strike in Beirut, which came without warning and hit a
residential building, killing two people and wounding 20, according to
Lebanese authorities.
He then urged restraint from Israel after Iran launched its first
barrage of missiles later that day. “I call all the shots,” not
Netanyahu, Trump told the Financial Times.
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President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israel's Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of a news conference at Mar-a-Lago,
Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Hours later, Israel bombed Iran.
Officials downplay differences
Trump had initially urged restraint in order to calm markets and
keep negotiations from falling apart, according to a person familiar
with the U.S.-Israel deliberations who spoke on condition of
anonymity to discuss the sensitive conversations.
Israeli officials made the counterargument that the U.S. would not
tolerate attacks without a swift response. The person added that it
was also understood by both sides that not responding to the Iranian
strikes would put Netanyahu in a difficult position politically.
Netanyahu has downplayed any perceived differences.
After the latest strikes, he told reporters in Hebrew that “Israel
has a full right to self-defense, and we are exercising it to the
extent necessary.”
“I say this to you, just as I say this, with appreciation and
respect, in my good conversations with my friend, President Trump,”
he added.
It's unclear if there will be lasting damage
It’s not the first time that Trump has been publicly at odds with
Netanyahu about a military operation.
In March, less than three weeks into the conflict, Trump was riled
by Netanyahu’s decision to attack a critical Iranian gas field,
which prompted Iran to retaliate against energy infrastructure in
the Gulf.
“I told him, ’Don’t do that,’” Trump said at the time. “We get along
great. It’s coordinated, but on occasion he’ll do something.”
While Trump publicly disagreed with the decision, two people
familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly
said the U.S. was made aware of Israel’s plans ahead of the attack.
It's unclear whether the latest dispute will cause lasting damage.
“It’s not so uncommon for the U.S.-Israel relationship to have these
kinds of tensions. What’s so different right now is how publicly
it’s playing out,” said Michael Singh, managing director at the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
He noted that Trump has had similar public spats with other heads of
state, including close allies.
Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations at Israel's Bar-Ilan
and Reichman universities, said he doubted the rift seriously
threatened the alliance. He said Netanyahu had been careful not to
push things too far.
“If there was a big threat, like if Israel were to continue the war
in Iran and drag the U.S. into it, that would have been a different
situation,” he said. “But that is not happening.”
He noted, though, that there are still “basic disagreements between
Netanyahu and Trump on Iran, Lebanon and Gaza” that remain
unanswered.
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Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Bassem
Mroue in Beirut and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed.
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