A diminished Bibi arrives for his moment with Trump

Axios | Barak Ravid

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday amid deepening strategic divergence and growing mutual suspicion over the war with Iran. This high-stakes encounter follows Trump's sudden decision to pause military strikes against the Iranian regime, leaving Israeli leadership temporarily uncoordinated and preparing for unilateral combat operations.

The bilateral friction reflects a broader erosion of Netanyahu's influence over Washington's regional policies since the April 8 ceasefire. Recent U.S. policy shifts, including a nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that omitted Israeli normalization requirements and a planned F-35 fighter jet sale to Turkey, have further sidelined Israeli security preferences. Although the administration still considers a joint military campaign similar to Operation Epic Fury if negotiations fail, senior American officials, including Vance, openly question the prime minister's wartime predictions as he faces a crucial domestic election.

Comment

The unilateral suspension of strikes against Iran and the exclusion of normalisation clauses from the Saudi nuclear agreement reveal a structural decoupling of Washington's regional priorities from Israeli security doctrines. By prioritising bilateral arrangements with Ankara and Riyadh, including the F-35 Lightning II transfer, the United States is actively diversifying its security partnerships in the Middle East at the expense of traditional exclusive alliances. This shift signals that the strategic alignment codified under the Abraham Accords is increasingly subservient to broader American geopolitical manoeuvres rather than Israeli vetoes. Consequently, the Washington-Tel Aviv axis is transitioning from the highly coordinated joint defence posture seen during Operation Epic Fury to a transactional arrangement characterised by strategic surprise and operational autonomy.

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