US intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to take steps that will undermine the US-Iran negotiations to end the war.
Citing a recent intelligence assessment, US officials told The Washington Post and The New York Times that the Israeli premier faces domestic political pressure to continue the war in Lebanon, and is likely to continue attacks against Hezbollah despite the ceasefire deal between the US and Iran that calls for a halt to fighting in Lebanon. Follow US-Iran war live updates
The report said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under domestic pressure to continue operations against the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah, and the ceasefire with Iran is unpopular in Israel.
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While Israel claims that it has committed to the ceasefire and halted attacks in Lebanon, US officials said that intelligence assessments are sceptical that Israeli commitments will hold.
The intelligence assessment was reported earlier by The Washington Post.
The assessment essentially says what is apparent from Israeli actions — that Netanyahu and other Israeli officials do not like the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. The intelligence report was written before US Vice President JD Vance publicly criticised Netanyahu on Thursday.
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On Friday, Netanyahu had said that Israeli troops will stay in Lebanon “as long as necessary”, AFP reported.
“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Netanyahu had said after the military announced the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.
