U.S. intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to take steps that could harm President Donald Trump’s effort to reach a peace agreement with Iran, according to a Friday report in The Washington Post. The intelligence assessment says the expected moves would come from the Lebanese front and are also driven by political pressure.
The report says Israel is determined to continue military activity against Hezbollah, a course that could disrupt a U.S.-Iran arrangement referenced in the first clause of a memorandum of understanding. The intelligence cited by the newspaper says Netanyahu’s moves are tied to Israel’s approaching elections, and that one of his goals is to show voters he will not withdraw IDF forces from Lebanon.
The report adds that Netanyahu is determined to intensify the fighting against Hezbollah. It also describes Israeli frustration with the terms of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. In Israel, officials believe the deal undermines their goal of maintaining maximum pressure on Iran and could limit Israel’s ability to defend itself against Hezbollah.
On Thursday, Netanyahu said in a speech at a Bible Route dedication ceremony that Israel must preserve the security buffer in southern Lebanon and will not retreat as long as security needs require it and Hezbollah remains north of the Litani River.
