US-Iran deal may leave Netanyahu as biggest casualty - analysis

The US-Iran deal to end the ongoing war could dismantle a core pillar of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political identity, according to analysts, former US officials, and diplomats. Netanyahu built his career on the assertion that he alone could align Washington's Iran strategy with Israel's, cultivating Republican support and positioning himself as the indispensable "American whisperer."

However, the interim pact between Washington and Tehran signifies a reversal of this narrative. Instead of shaping US policy, Netanyahu is reportedly compelled to accept it, with President Donald Trump prioritizing a settlement that increasingly disregards Israeli objections. This leaves Netanyahu in a difficult position, caught between a US president eager to end the conflict and a domestic base resistant to concessions, particularly concerning Lebanon.

What was intended to be a defining conflict for Netanyahu's legacy may instead mark the erosion of his political power. Facing international isolation and domestic constraints ahead of an autumn election, the very issue he used to build his career has become a significant liability. His promises of ultimate victory in the war with Iran have not materialized, failing to achieve the collapse of Iran's ruling system, the defeat of Hezbollah, or the safe return of residents to northern Israel.

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The US-Iran deal is a decisive blow to Netanyahu. Not only did he lose the war with Iran, he has also lost Trump as a friend. He is now isolated not only internationally, but locked in a major dispute with Trump.