Home
+
Published : 19 Jun 2026, 11:44 PM
US intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Israel may take measures that will “undermine” President Donald Trump’s effort to reach a lasting peace deal with Iran, The Washington Post reports, citing officials.
Current and former US officials flagged the warning as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces “intense political pressure to continue waging” the war in Lebanon.
Several hours after the report on Friday, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon.
A senior US official said the truce would take effect around 4pm Lebanon time.
The presidents of the US and Iran signed an initial peace agreement on Wednesday, allowing several immediate factors including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a $300 billion plan for Iran's "reconstruction", and the US terminating "all types of sanctions" on Iran.
However, US-Iran talks in Switzerland planned for Friday were cancelled as fighting flared in Lebanon, creating new uncertainty about the timing of negotiations vital to ensure the reopening of the strait to global shipping.
US Vice President JD Vance, who was to head the US delegation, postponed his journey.
The agreements come amid growing tension between Netanyahu’s government and Trump administration officials, who publicly cautioned Israel against launching attacks against Hezbollah as the conflict could “derail” the US-Iran deal.
The fighting in Lebanon saw 18 people lose their lives to airstrikes overnight, while four Israeli soldiers were killed by Hezbollah militants.
On Thursday, Vance criticised members of Israel’s government, describing the country “deeply isolated”
He said Israeli leaders “failed to appreciate” American diplomatic and military support.
Addressing a news conference in France on Wednesday, Trump said he has a “little dispute over Lebanon” with Netanyahu and has urged the Israeli leader to not “knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah.”
A US intelligence report says Netanyahu’s “political survival” is linked to showing his domestic audience that he will not withdraw troops from Lebanon.
The Israeli premier, the report says, is rigid in his intent to escalate the fighting with Hezbollah.
The report also describes Israel’s frustration with the terms of the US-Iran peace memorandum, which “undermines” its broader objective of maintaining maximum pressure on Tehran.
Israel’s perception is that the agreement could constrain its ability to defend itself against Hezbollah, one former official said, citing the report.
