US Officials Express Frustration Over Netanyahu's Iran War Assessments

Netanyahu has urged Trump to help curb Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's regional influence. (Reuters photo)

Differences between the Trump administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have resurfaced over the Iran conflict, with senior US officials privately expressing frustration over what they described as unfulfilled assurances given by the Israeli prime minister during the war. A senior Trump administration official said Netanyahu had repeatedly made optimistic predictions about the course of the war that ultimately failed to materialise. "Bibi made a bunch of promises about the Iran war that didn't come to pass," a senior administration official told Axios. "But what can we do? He'll come. He'll make his promises and then we'll have to check everything out." The official's comments reflected growing scepticism within the administration over Netanyahu's assessments of the conflict and signalled that Washington intends to independently verify future claims before acting on them. The latest remarks suggest that while Washington and Jerusalem remain close allies, the Trump administration is taking a more cautious approach to Netanyahu's claims and policy requests, even as Washingtion continues to burn midnight oil to reach truce with the United States. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has urged US President Donald Trump to help curb Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's regional influence and avoid supplying advanced weapons systems that could help modernise Turkey's air force. The report said the latest friction comes after Trump pursued negotiations to end the Iran conflict through diplomacy, an approach that reportedly did not align with Netanyahu's preferred course of action. Although the two leaders have maintained close ties over the years, their relationship has seen periodic strains. The latest disagreement has emerged after the handling of the Iran conflict, with several senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, reportedly questioning Netanyahu's assessments of the war. Despite the differences, Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House later this month, where regional security, Iran and broader Middle East policy are likely to feature prominently in discussions.

End of Article