Why Benjamin Netanyahu poses an obstacle to US and Iran peace deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military operations in Lebanon are creating a significant obstacle to potential peace talks between the United States and Iran. The situation has tested the volatile alliance between Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly as Netanyahu faces upcoming elections and is under pressure to demonstrate results from his campaigns against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.

“

What the fuck are you doing?

Netanyahu's threats on Monday to bomb southern Beirut suburbs to dislodge Hezbollah prompted Iran to declare it would suspend negotiations with the U.S. until the conflict froze. Trump, who had claimed a deal was imminent, responded by stating, “I think we’ve been talking too much.” The crisis reportedly culminated in a stormy phone call between the two leaders, with one official telling Axios that Trump asked, “What the fuck are you doing?” and added, “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me.”

“

You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me.

This account is disputed, with Israel's Channel 12 reporting that the focus was a misunderstanding. Chief political analyst Amit Segal, citing a close aide to Netanyahu, wrote that Trump felt Netanyahu implied the war was continuing at full intensity, while Netanyahu believed Trump implied a total ceasefire. Trump later told ABC News, “There was a little glitch today, but I turned that one around very quickly, as you probably noticed earlier.”

“

Trump felt Netanyahu implied the war was continuing at full intensity, while Netanyahu felt Trump implied a total ceasefire.

Netanyahu has a history of challenging U.S. presidents, but the current moment is particularly fraught. Israel's Knesset recently passed the first reading of a bill to dissolve parliament, with early elections expected in the autumn. Netanyahu's popularity has slumped as the conflicts in Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon have dragged on. Ilan Goldenberg, a former special adviser on the Middle East, noted that Netanyahu needs to project an image of continued fighting and a pursuit of "total victory" to have a compelling narrative for the election, rather than suggesting the conflicts are concluded.

“

There was a little glitch today, but I turned that one around very quickly, as you probably noticed earlier.