U.S. intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could take steps that undermine Washington's fledgling peace agreement with Iran, as domestic political pressures push him toward a tougher military stance in Lebanon, Washington Post reported on Friday, citing current and former American officials.
The intelligence assessment reportedly concludes that Netanyahu's political survival ahead of national elections is increasingly tied to demonstrating that Israel will not withdraw troops from southern Lebanon and remains committed to confronting Hezbollah.
The warning comes as tensions emerge between the Trump administration and Netanyahu's government over the future of military operations in Lebanon, a key element of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding signed this week.
According to the report, Israel is frustrated with aspects of the agreement, which it believes could constrain its ability to counter Hezbollah and weaken its broader strategy of maintaining maximum pressure on Tehran.
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Speaking in France earlier this week, President Donald Trump acknowledged disagreements with Netanyahu over Lebanon.
"I have a little dispute over Lebanon," Trump said, adding that he had urged the Israeli leader not to "knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that's from Hezbollah."
The concerns intensified after Israel launched air strikes across southern Lebanon following a Hezbollah drone attack that killed four Israeli soldiers. The violence prompted the postponement of scheduled U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland, where Vice President JD Vance was expected to lead the American delegation.
"Continuing to occupy part of Lebanon is a recipe for disaster," one U.S. official said, warning that without a full Israeli withdrawal, renewed hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah were "all but certain."
According to Washington Post, Israeli officials have rejected suggestions that their actions are aimed at sabotaging diplomacy. "Israeli military activity in Lebanon is for the sole purpose of defending Israeli citizens from continuous attacks by Hezbollah," a senior Israeli government official said.
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Still, hardline voices within Netanyahu's coalition remain defiant. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared on social media: "For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers should cry. All of Lebanon should burn."
Former Israeli intelligence analyst Danny Citrinowicz said Netanyahu risks "huge friction" with Trump, while former U.S. intelligence analyst Harrison Mann argued that "permanent war, and territorial expansion, have been the animating forces of Israeli politics for years."
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