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Israel Attacks Iran Despite Trump's Ceasefire Call
Israel launched another attack on Iran despite Donald Trump's call for a ceasefire, aiming to assert its influence at the negotiation table. The reciprocal attacks soon ceased, but both sides left the door open for a possible escalation.
Israel launched another attack on targets in Iran on Monday despite Donald Trump's call for a ceasefire. This move was seen as a message against Israel being excluded from the peace talks led by Washington.
Israel and Iran soon announced a pause in their reciprocal attacks. However, neither side ruled out the possibility of the conflict reigniting.
Message to Washington
Israel's attacks aimed to demonstrate that its interests cannot be ignored in any final agreement with Iran. Israeli military historian Danny Orbach said the message to Washington was that Israel could overturn the negotiation table if its interests were heavily disregarded.
Trump stated that he started the war alongside Israel in February and has since been seeking a reconciliation with Iran. However, he excludes Israel from these talks.
Trump also publicly pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid steps that could jeopardize the process. This included urging Israel to refrain from operations that could escalate conflicts in Lebanon, which Israel occupies, in March.
Tensions rise on the Lebanon front
Iran argues that any peace agreement with Washington should be conducted alongside a ceasefire in Lebanon. Last week, Netanyahu canceled airstrikes on Beirut following a phone call with Trump.
Trump later confirmed that he used very harsh language toward Netanyahu during this tense conversation. Nevertheless, he said their relationship continues.
Netanyahu's domestic political rivals criticized Israel's limitation of military options to maintain talks with the U.S. as a concession of sovereignty.
Why Israel targeted Iran directly
Trump told Axios that the parties should close the matter with reciprocal attacks. "They both had their fun," he said, implying no new attacks were necessary.
Israel concluded that directly attacking Iran would prevent Tehran from gaining influence over developments in Lebanon. According to a senior Israeli defense official, Tel Aviv could not accept Iran's attacks being seen as legitimate retaliation against Israel.
Before deciding on the attack, Netanyahu held a meeting with senior security and defense officials. The discussion focused on the objectives of a short-term escalation.
One of these objectives was that any potential U.S.-Iran agreement should not eliminate Israel's right to strike Hezbollah in southern Lebanon or prevent Israeli troops from remaining in the area.
Tensions between Netanyahu and Trump
The Israeli defense official said Netanyahu raised this issue during phone calls with Trump over the weekend. Netanyahu has not appeared publicly since the renewed attacks on Iran began Monday morning.
Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The brief conflict between Israel and Iran brought renewed visibility to the occasional tensions between the two conservative leaders.
Close associates of Netanyahu also reported that in private talks, he acknowledged the difficulty of influencing Trump's decisions on Iran. Although Israel could conduct air operations against Iran alone, experts say such a campaign would require Washington's approval and support to be sustained for weeks.
Senior researcher Yehoshua Kalisky from the Institute for National Security Studies said that ammunition is consumable and Israel cannot remain alone in this war for long.
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