Israel upset that US kept Netanyahu out of Iran ceasefire talks

The handling of the process drew criticism from Israeli leaders.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

US plans to secure a two-week ceasefire with Iran were not shared with Israel until the agreement was nearing completion, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, prompting frustration among Israeli officials over their exclusion from key decisions.

A US official cited by the WSJ said Israel’s role amounted to a call from President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly before the announcement.

Israeli objections also focused on reported details of the ceasefire’s scope. Mediators involved in the talks told the WSJ that officials in Jerusalem were dissatisfied with indications that Lebanon could be included.

Earlier Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped broker the ceasefire, said Lebanon would be part of the arrangement. That claim was later rejected by both Trump and Netanyahu.

Trump told PBS News reporter Liz Landers that Lebanon was excluded due to Hezbollah.

The handling of the process drew criticism from Israeli leaders.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu “failed politically, failed strategically, and didn’t meet a single one of the goals that he himself set.”

“Israel wasn’t even part of the discussions when decisions were made concerning our national security,” Lapid said, adding that “it will take us years to repair the political and strategic damage that Netanyahu created due to arrogance, negligence, and a lack of strategic planning.”

MK Zvika Fogel, chair of the Knesset’s National Security Committee and a member of the Otzma Yehudit party, criticized Trump’s decision to move forward with the deal, saying he “really wimped out.”

Israeli forces launched extensive strikes in Beirut, including a targeted operation against a Hezbollah commander, as Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported heavy casualties.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the actions were justified, blaming the Lebanese government for not confronting Hezbollah.

Iran warned that it would retaliate if attacks on Hezbollah continue despite the ceasefire.