Trump's Frustration with Netanyahu Threatens Israeli Leader's Political Future

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal revealed increasing dissatisfaction from President Donald Trump and U.S. administration officials toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The newspaper reported that Trump's displeasure with Netanyahu intensified over recent weeks, as Netanyahu sought to end the war with Iran while simultaneously pushing to continue military confrontations.

The report highlighted that this strained relationship carries serious consequences for a region on the verge of a possible peace agreement, which could be undermined by further Israeli military actions.

According to a memorandum of understanding, Tehran agreed to a reciprocal deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for ending the U.S. blockade and permitting Iran to sell its oil on the market. The parties postponed more difficult negotiations regarding dismantling Iran's nuclear program for talks extending over 60 days.

Israeli officials were reportedly surprised by the announcement of the ceasefire on Thursday, having expected Trump to favor military strikes over reaching an agreement, according to Israeli sources. One source stated that Israeli officials were prepared to carry out potential strikes.

In recent phone conversations about nuclear weapons in the potential agreement, Netanyahu reportedly asked, "Donald, how will you verify that?" In other calls, Netanyahu cited historical reasons for distrusting the Iranians.

Trump told his advisers that no one could control Netanyahu and that he wanted to "bomb everyone," according to someone who heard the remarks. In a recent interview with the newspaper, Trump described Netanyahu as "a great guy, but sometimes he overdoes it."

A senior U.S. administration official familiar with communications between Trump and Netanyahu said these calls usually involved Netanyahu urging more military action, which Trump had grown tired of.

The official explained, "Netanyahu tells the president why he needs to blow something up, why Israeli intelligence knows how and when to do it, and the president listens. The calls are usually similar."

While Trump spoke about the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Netanyahu encouraged him to be patient in confronting the Iranians and to continue applying pressure, according to the informed source.

After learning last week that Trump would sign an agreement sidelining Israel, Netanyahu requested an urgent meeting with him, according to another informed source. Days later, a draft of the agreement was presented to Israeli officials.

In a Sunday interview, Trump said Israelis wanted the deal, although they had indicated otherwise and had not yet reviewed it. He added that the relationship had clear limits and that Netanyahu "asks for permission," which publicly insults the Israeli leader. Trump also said, "He calls us the big guy, and he is the small one."

Officials in the administration confirmed that the volatile nature of their relationship sometimes led to internal disagreements, as Netanyahu regularly sought Trump's approval but occasionally struck targets first.

Nathan Sacks, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said, "Netanyahu fears Trump turning against him, but he also sees Trump as a man who can be convinced of anything, including attacking Iran."

Officials in the Trump administration's ranks expressed growing frustration with Netanyahu. Some White House officials questioned whether Netanyahu aimed to prolong the war with Iran to strengthen his political position, according to administration sources.

Simultaneously, some Israeli officials turned against certain Trump advisers, believing they provided the president with negative information about Israel.

Earlier this month, Trump told ABC News, "I wonder if Bibi wants to continue," prompting Netanyahu to affirm he is still running in the upcoming elections.

A White House official stated, "Trump enjoys an excellent partnership with Netanyahu and Israel," but added, "No country or leader pressures President Trump to do anything."

The newspaper noted Trump's anger toward Netanyahu for congratulating former Democratic President Joe Biden on his 2020 election victory, though the two resumed their relationship after Trump's return to office.

The Wall Street Journal indicated the two men were never close friends or golf partners, citing a late 2025 interview in which Trump described their relationship as symbiotic in some respects and said, "Bibi is a tough guy, and so am I."

Longtime associates of Netanyahu said he is not known for forming deep friendships and trusts only a few close aides.

During Trump's second term, Netanyahu met with him at least seven times, in addition to frequent phone calls, and publicly sought to demonstrate a strong relationship with Trump.

A source familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Netanyahu's staff were instructed to focus social media messaging on the close ties between the two leaders.

Senior Israeli officials engaged with anyone willing to speak to Trump, and Israel hired a social media influence firm led by Brad Parscale, Trump's former campaign manager.

Throughout 2025, Netanyahu repeatedly visited Trump to urge him to strike Iran. On one occasion, Trump pulled Netanyahu aside for a private tour of the Lincoln Room at the White House, according to officials.

Sources mentioned that Netanyahu addressed Trump by his first name, "Donald," an informal form not commonly used by other world leaders.

On another occasion, Israeli officials brought a gold-colored pager to the White House, which impressed Trump, according to officials.

This device was a replica of the pagers Israeli forces used to target Hezbollah members in Lebanon in September 2024.

Trump demonstrated greater willingness to engage in war with Iran than many of his advisers expected and more than Israelis anticipated, according to sources familiar with the situation. Netanyahu developed detailed plans for attacking Iran and presented them to the president.

Military cooperation between the two countries reached unprecedented levels. Israeli generals sat in U.S. operations rooms, according to military officials. Dozens of U.S. refueling aircraft were stationed at Israel's main civilian airport and other sites in Israel.

However, Trump was rarely convinced of the need to deploy ground forces to Iran, believing the U.S. could subdue the regime through air power alone.

Trump anticipated that Tehran would have no option but to dismantle its nuclear program under intense bombing, disregarding concerns about Iran potentially closing the strait or responding forcefully.

Initially, Trump and Netanyahu praised the precision of attacks hitting their targets, the number of Iranian leaders eliminated, and sites to be bombed later, even discussing specific locations during late-night phone calls, according to informed sources.

Trump showed more interest in the war's tactical details than his team expected, partly due to Netanyahu's updates, according to U.S. officials.

Israeli officials said that as the war progressed, Trump became skeptical of some of Netanyahu's claims and rejected his plan for a Kurdish invasion of Iran to overthrow the regime.

Differences in Military Objectives

Netanyahu encouraged Trump to continue attacks in Iran, sharing intelligence and specific targets. He also advocated bombing Iran's energy infrastructure, a move opposed by some of Trump's advisers and considered by some as violating international humanitarian law depending on the attack's execution. For example, Netanyahu was eager to bomb Kharg Island.

Netanyahu strongly opposed any agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program, insisting the regime would secretly seek to acquire a nuclear bomb. Yet Trump told Israeli leaders and his advisers he preferred a diplomatic solution rather than relying solely on force. A source familiar with the calls said Trump assured Netanyahu any deal would be "tight."

Trump stated in the interview that Netanyahu has different objectives in some respects due to Israel's proximity to Iran.

A senior U.S. administration official said Trump began asking his officials after each phone call about the accuracy of Netanyahu's statements, something he had not done regularly before.

Officials in the U.S. administration reported that what upset Trump most was Israel continuing to bomb Lebanon despite the ceasefire.

Eyewitnesses said Trump gathered Israeli and Lebanese officials in the Oval Office and personally attempted to mediate an agreement.

The first confrontation occurred after Trump told those present he had seen images of Christians being bombed there.

In another call about Lebanon this month, previously detailed by Axios, Trump called Netanyahu "crazy" and told him he would be jailed if not for Trump's support.