According to the Washington Post (WP), “current and former U.S. officials” report that U.S. intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Netanyahu will move to undermine Trump’s Iran agreement. While this may be obvious, in a bizarre Washington environment, there is something to be said that such a report is being circulated.
The intelligence report, according to one U.S. official familiar with the report, does say that Netanyahu’s political survival in the upcoming election is linked to showing his domestic audience that he will not withdraw troops from Lebanon and that he is intent on escalating the fighting with Hezbollah, said one U.S. official familiar with the report. WP says that Trump administration officials “insist that Netanyahu’s concerns pale in comparison to the need to complete a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to stave off a global economic crisis.” Another official was quoted to say: “Continuing to occupy part of Lebanon is a recipe for disaster. Without a full Israeli withdrawal, the likelihood of resumed hostilities between the [Israeli military] and Hezbollah is all but certain.”
