AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The strategic alliance between Washington and Tel Aviv is facing an unprecedented and structural test—a test rooted in the pragmatic and interest-driven approach of Donald Trump's foreign policy.
According to an Al Jazeera report, while Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the Zionist regime, continues to emphasize the option of full-scale war escalation and even regime change in Iran, the U.S. administration is rapidly moving toward a diplomatic agreement. An agreement aimed at ending a regional war and ensuring the security of international trade and shipping routes, even if achieving it requires crossing many of Tel Aviv's strategic red lines.
This sudden and dramatic shift has raised a fundamental and concerning question in the political and security circles of the Zionist regime: is Trump willing to sacrifice his closest ally in exchange for a historic agreement with Iran?
The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, in a report that received wide attention in Zionist political circles, citing senior security sources in the regime, wrote that the Trump administration has completely excluded the Zionist regime from ongoing negotiations with Iran regarding a ceasefire.
These sources claimed that Tel Aviv learned details of the secret U.S.-Iran talks not from Washington, but through diplomatic contacts with regional leaders and some intelligence obtained from within Iran. In the view of observers, this is a sign of the declining trust and influence of the Zionist regime with the U.S. government.
This situation is in stark contrast to the beginning of the U.S.-Zionist war against Iran, when military coordination between the two sides was at its highest level. During that period, Zionist regime officers were stationed at the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Florida, and conversely, American officers were present at the war ministry command centers of the Zionist regime to make decisions jointly.
According to Zionist security sources, the rift between the two sides deepened when Trump's inner circle assessed the idea of regime change in Iran as impractical and unrealistic. Since then, Trump has viewed Netanyahu less as a political partner and more as a warmonger who must be restrained in the process of resolving crises.
Furthermore, Washington prefers to distance itself from some controversial actions of the Zionist regime, including the assassination plot against Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as the United States has never openly targeted the leader of a country without trial.
Tehran's Difficult Conditions
Ron Ben-Yishai, a veteran military and security analyst for the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing a source knowledgeable about Iranian affairs, warned that if Israel enters the negotiating room with the Iranians, it will be the loser.
According to him, the current draft understanding between the United States and Iran has separated the nuclear and missile files from an immediate agreement.
According to the report, Tehran has demanded a U.S. commitment to a complete end to the war in Iran and Lebanon, recognition of Iran's special status in the Strait of Hormuz, and the immediate release of $24 billion of its frozen assets.
In return, Washington has set aside the issue of ballistic missiles and drones from the interim agreement, promising that these matters will be addressed in later stages. This has caused serious concern for the Zionist regime, as Tel Aviv fears that the missile file and even part of Iran's nuclear capabilities may ultimately be removed from the agenda.
Collapse of the Notion of Equality with the United States
Yoav Limor, a military analyst for the Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom, believes that Trump has oscillated between the options of war and agreement in recent weeks, but has ultimately leaned toward an agreement.
He writes that at least the achievement the U.S. seeks—the removal of Iran's enriched uranium—bears a strong resemblance to the 2015 nuclear deal. The same agreement that Trump and Netanyahu had opposed for years and from which they withdrew.
From Limor's perspective, this situation constitutes a kind of defeat for the policies of the Zionist regime.
He also warns that one of Iran's demands regarding Lebanon is the withdrawal of Zionist regime forces from southern Lebanon—a demand that Trump might agree to in order to reach an agreement. In his view, such a decision would be bad news for the northern settlements of the occupied territories and would, conversely, give Hezbollah the opportunity to rebuild and recover its strength.
Limor then referred to Netanyahu's claims about an equal relationship with the United States and says that Trump's remarks—saying that Netanyahu would do whatever I say—showed that the reality of the relationship between the two sides is far from what the Israeli Prime Minister advertised.
America First; Interests Above All Else
Amos Harel, a prominent military analyst for the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, also believes that the Zionist regime's influence over Trump has notably diminished.
He links this shift in approach to the economic pressures resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—an event that caused a sharp rise in oil prices and heightened the U.S. administration's concern over the economic consequences of continuing the war.
According to Harel, Trump, who consistently emphasizes his electoral slogans and wants to focus on other matters, including hosting the FIFA World Cup in North America, is not pleased that Netanyahu has led him into a full-scale war.
He says Trump feels that Netanyahu, with overly optimistic promises about the rapid collapse of Iran's system, has led the United States into a costly path.
Accordingly, Washington has now adopted a pragmatic approach, even raising the possibility of using tools such as diplomatic vetoes or restricting arms shipments to the Zionist regime in the event of unilateral action by Tel Aviv.
Internal Erosion in the Zionist Regime
Many Zionist analysts believe that the current external crisis has coincided with an intensification of internal rifts within the Zionist regime.
Yoav Limor believes that instead of trying to create internal unity in the face of regional challenges, Netanyahu has fueled political polarization in Zionist society with his controversial speeches and stances.
He also refers to the remarks of some Zionist cabinet ministers that have caused tension in Tel Aviv's relations with parts of the American Jewish community.
Ultimately, recent developments show that in the Trump administration's view, economic considerations, stability of energy markets, and America's direct interests have taken precedence over the demands of its traditional allies. This has led to the Zionist regime being sidelined from the process of forming a new agreement with Iran. It now faces a reality that, from the perspective of many Israeli analysts, not only does not completely eliminate Iran's regional power but also reveals the limitations of Tel Aviv's influence over Washington's decisions.
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