
Before the attack on Iran on February 28, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not merely present in the operations room alongside US President Donald Trump; according to a report by The New York Times, he was leading the discussions, insisting that a joint US-Israeli strike could lead to the سقوط of the Iranian regime.
But just a few weeks later, the picture has changed completely.
According to two Israeli military officials who spoke to the newspaper, Israel has been largely sidelined by the Trump administration, and its leaders have been almost entirely excluded from the details of the de-escalation talks between Washington and Tehran, which came into effect about a month and a half ago.
The two officials explained that Israel, amid a shortage of information coming from its closest ally, has been forced to follow developments through its contacts with leaders and diplomats in the region, in addition to what its intelligence services are gathering from inside Iran.
The American newspaper’s report said that "Israel’s move from the cockpit to economy class could carry major political and security implications, especially for Netanyahu, who is facing a difficult election battle this year."
Netanyahu has long presented himself to Israelis as the figure capable of influencing Trump and securing his support.
During a televised speech at the start of the war, he said he speaks with the US president "almost every day," and that the two exchange ideas and advice and make decisions together.
Last Wednesday, Axios cited informed sources as saying that a tense phone call took place between the US president and the Israeli prime minister, due to the latter’s anger over a possible agreement with Iran.
The sources said Trump and Netanyahu discussed a renewed effort to reach an agreement with Iran in a difficult call, and one source said Netanyahu "was very angry" after the conversation.
According to Axios, Netanyahu is highly skeptical about the negotiations and wants to resume the war to further weaken Iran’s military capabilities and undermine the regime by destroying its vital infrastructure.
The Israeli army is preparing for the possibility that Trump may decide to carry out military action against Iran in the coming days, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12.
Israel believes that the negotiations between Washington and Tehran will ultimately not lead to an agreement, and that the military option will be carried out, while the Israeli army is handling the situation on the basis that an attack "could happen within days."
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