ITAI BULLETIN # XXX
By: Joseph Puder
Thursday June 4,2026
In April of this year, when the U.S. – Iran ceasefire was declared and diplomatic talks began, there was a firm commitment by the Trump administration that the Iranian regime wouldn’t be allowed to dictate U.S. or Israeli policy in Lebanon. Lebanon was not to be included in any deal that would emerge between Washington and Tehran. Trump reassuring Israel that negotiations between Washington and Tehran would not prevent Israeli military action against Hezbollah.
Earlier this week, Axios reported on a leaked confidential conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu in which Trump has reportedly called Benjamin Netanyahu 'f***ing crazy' on a phone call just before the President announced a halt to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Netanyahu had announced earlier that the IDF would retaliate against the terrorist organization Hezbollah by attacking Hezbollah’s headquarters in Southern Beirut (Dahiyeh) in retaliation for Hezbollah’s continued attacks on Israeli communities in northern Israel and killing IDF soldier with attack drones.
Trump announced on Truth Social that Prime Minister Netanyahu turned his troops around instead of conducting a ‘a major raid’ on Lebanon. He added that both the IDF and Hezbollah terrorists agreed to 'stop shooting' at one another. But in fact, the shooting by Hezbollah didn’t stop.
More importantly, Trump caved in to Iran’s demands and appeased the Ayatollahs regime in order to achieve the opening of the Strait of Hormuz that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has no intension to open anytime soon. And at the same time, it has weakened the U.S. position vis-à-vis the Iranians while undermining Netanyahu’s chances to be re-elected in the impending October 2026 elections in Israel.
The Israeli public has little appetite for reliving the internal displacement that forced residents of northern Israel to relocate to central Israel and seek refuge around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s government is being blamed for not ending the Hezbollah threat to Israelis in the north. This is being used by the anti-Netanyahu opposition to weaken the Likud-led government and Netanyahu in particular, calling his government a “vassal” of the Trump administration.
Tehran reportedly used an intermediary (probably Qatar) to urge Washington to restrain Israel in exchange for resuming negotiations and pursuing a broader agreement. This reportedly contributed to a disagreement between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. While Trump appears focused on securing a deal with the Iranian regime, Netanyahu continues to prioritize military pressure on Hezbollah.
In the end, one expects President Trump to uphold his principled position of not allowing the Iranian regime to dictate terms in the negotiations.