Trump, Netanyahu Hold Testy Iran Call --- Israel worries a bad deal could derail attack to further degrade the regime

 

 Someone must pay the political price for this year's failed coup attempt in Iran. Netanyahu fears it will be him, as the weaker partner and the source of the botched intelligence.

 

This insight accurately reflects the enormous political tensions between the US and Israeli leaders in the spring of 2026. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is indeed facing serious political consequences at home and internationally for the unfulfilled intelligence promises of a quick regime collapse in Iran.

Here are the key facts that support this situation:

Intelligence Failure and Failed Coup

• The Promise of a “Quick Coup”: According to media reports, including The New York Times, before the military action began in February 2026, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad (led by David Barnea) convinced Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump that precision strikes in Iran would instantly provoke a massive popular uprising and an internal military coup that would topple the regime within days.

 

• Reality: Although the US and Israeli strikes in late February eliminated the country's leader Ali Khamenei and destroyed part of the military infrastructure, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) did not disintegrate. On the contrary, the regime consolidated around Mojtaba Khamenei, and no organized coup d'état took place.

• US intelligence skepticism: It turned out that CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the US intelligence community had already warned Trump in advance that the Israeli scenario of the regime's collapse was "detached from reality", but this information was ignored.

Netanyahu's fear and the position of the "weaker partner"

• Trump's pressure: With the military actions stuck, Donald Trump decided to stop the active war and began a diplomatic process through intermediaries (Qatar and Pakistan) for a ceasefire and an agreement with Iran. This reportedly caused great anger and panic among Netanyahu, as Israel wanted to continue operations until the Iranian regime was completely destroyed. With Washington imposing its will, Israel began to be seen publicly as a partner whose decisions were made not in Jerusalem but in the White House.

• Political cost at home: The Israeli opposition (both left-wing and right-wing leaders such as Yair Golan and Avigdor Lieberman) is fiercely attacking Netanyahu. He is accused of having achieved no strategic goals after the enormous military effort: Iran’s nuclear program has not been destroyed, the ballistic missile threat remains, and the regime in Tehran itself has even strengthened its military control after the war.

Netanyahu now finds himself in a situation where he is accused of selling the US administration an “unrealistic plan” and then standing aside when the wounded but unscathed Iranian regime signs a ceasefire on US terms, not Israeli terms.

“President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a contentious call Tuesday evening, said people familiar with the matter, with Netanyahu railing against a pact to end the Iran war and Trump defending the diplomatic process.

 

Israel has long expressed skepticism that Iran would abide by any deal to dismantle its nuclear work and refrain from attacks on regional nations. Trump told Netanyahu he would pursue an accord that prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He said Iran faced more strikes if it didn't show more flexibility in talks.

 

Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Trump said his call with Netanyahu went well and that the Israeli leader would "do whatever I want him to do." Asked later whether he was close to making a decision on Iran, he said: "It's right on the borderline."

 

"It would have to be a complete 100% good answers," he said of Iran's response.

 

Neither the White House nor Netanyahu's office responded to requests for comment.

 

There has been a flurry of high-level diplomatic activity this week between mediators including Pakistan to head off new attacks on Iran. Mediators reported little progress in negotiations as the U.S. and Iran pushed tough positions with little sign of compromise on the nuclear issue, the Strait of Hormuz or sanctions relief. Some analysts have said a memorandum of understanding that kicks the most difficult issues down the road could be achievable with some compromises.

 

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday urged Iran to make a deal to avoid further escalation.

 

Iran threatened it would escalate in new ways and widen the war beyond the region if attacked again. It has rattled Gulf Arab states by hitting their airports and energy facilities during the war, crimping their economic lifelines.

 

Some U.S. officials said Trump and Netanyahu often can be direct with one another. But the calls highlight their diverging interests as they contemplate the end of the war.

 

Trump is looking to wrap up an economically costly conflict that is unpopular at home.

 

Israel wants to resume the bombing campaign where it left off before the cease-fire and do more damage to hobble a regime it sees as an existential threat.

 

The U.S. and Israel could renew attacks on Iran in the coming days or weeks, said officials in the Middle East.

 

Trump held a Monday meeting with his national-security team about his Iran options, U.S. officials said. There is growing consensus within the Trump administration that economic pressure on Iran is taking its toll, they said.

 

If Trump were to order strikes, the targets could include energy and infrastructure to increase the economic pain, said people familiar with the matter. Israel would be a part of the attacks, which could include more targeted killings, some of the people said, noting that the decision is Trump's.

 

"The only question is: Do we go and finish it up, are they going to be signing a document?" Trump said Wednesday during a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

 

Israel isn't as affected by Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz as consumers in Europe, Asia or Africa.

 

But it worries that any deal Trump strikes with Iran in a rush to end the war won't be tough enough to eliminate the threat of its nuclear and missile programs.” [1]

 

1. World News: Trump, Netanyahu Hold Testy Iran Call --- Israel worries a bad deal could derail attack to further degrade the regime. Ward, Alexander; Peled, Anat; Lieber, Dov.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 21 May 2026: A8.