Israel braces for the post-deal era, wary of testing Trump

The US-Iran agreement has put Israel back in a position where it may have to face Iran and its proxies without American backing, even under a sympathetic White House. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who previously dealt with hostile administrations under Barack Obama and Joe Biden, discussed the new reality with Donald Trump’s government in mind.

According to a report on Channel 12, Netanyahu did not rule out actions that could run counter to the current administration’s position, but only up to a point. In private consultations held Monday night, he reportedly said, “You can stretch the rope with the Americans, but you must not break it.”

At the same time, Israeli officials say they still do not know all the details of the accord. Senior figures in Israel told Channel 13 that they are still trying to locate “the full details of the agreement.” Despite not seeing the complete text, officials are already deeply disappointed with it.

A senior Israeli source was quoted by i24 as saying, “If we had known this is how the war would end in terms of the diplomatic ‘leg’ of it, it is not certain we would have chosen to go to war.” The article suggests Israel is now preparing for the “day after” the deal and weighing how far it can go without provoking Trump’s government.