Trump calls for a ceasefire, but Israel insists on continuing the fight! The U.S. and Israel are on different pages: one needs war, the other needs peace.

The U.S.-Israel conflict has reached 100 days, with Trump eager to disengage but unable to hold back allies: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ignores White House opposition and insists on retaliating against Iran, a U.S. official bluntly reveals the cracks, "Netanyahu needs the war to continue to maintain his political life; Trump needs the war to end to sustain his political life."
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• Israeli military strikes Beirut, White House unaware beforehand
• Netanyahu’s logic: not striking is a sign of weakness
• After missiles are launched, Israel informs Washington
• Same bed, different dreams: one needs war, the other needs peace

Trump wants a ceasefire, Netanyahu insists on fighting, the rift between the U.S. and Israel has been publicly exposed in the most unflattering way over the past 24 hours. An exclusive phone interview obtained by Axios reveals that Trump personally warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: "Bibi (Netanyahu’s nickname), you better watch out, or you'll be fighting alone soon." But the warning did not lead to any concessions.

Israeli military strikes Beirut, White House unaware beforehand

The trigger event occurred on June 7. The Israeli military bombed a Hezbollah target in Beirut. An Israeli intelligence source revealed that before the operation, Israel had notified U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), but did not inform the White House. Trump was displeased with this attack.

Iran subsequently launched missiles at Israel as previously promised, marking the first exchange of missile fire between the two since April, rapidly escalating the situation. Some Israeli officers initially believed Iran was just bluffing, but developments proved they misjudged.

That evening, Trump called Netanyahu, urging him not to retaliate. An Israeli intelligence source who listened to the call said Trump presented two options: either negotiate an agreement with Iran within a few days to make Israel’s attack unnecessary; or if negotiations break down, Trump himself would lead military action against Iran.

Two U.S. officials and one Israeli intelligence source said the tone of this call was much calmer than a few days earlier, when Trump had angrily scolded Netanyahu over the Lebanon attack, calling him “crazy as hell.” This time, one U.S. official described the call as “quite polite,” another said “no one was shouting.”

Netanyahu’s logic: not striking is a sign of weakness

However, Netanyahu has his own calculations regarding Trump’s pressure. An Israeli intelligence source revealed that Netanyahu argued: not responding to Iran’s attack is not only detrimental to Israel but also harmful to the U.S. and the ceasefire agreement Trump is pushing for. His core point is that ignoring Iran would be interpreted as Iran being able to deter the U.S.-Israel joint military action, thereby weakening bargaining chips.

The conversation ultimately did not reach a clear conclusion. Some U.S. officials involved in the call believe Trump has gained a few days of buffer time; but Israeli sources say Netanyahu’s interpretation is quite different. He believes that although Trump opposes retaliation, “that doesn’t mean a clear ‘don’t attack.’”

A U.S. official later said more bluntly: “Bibi can’t interpret Trump’s words as consent. He was explicitly told that Trump does not support doing this, but he still acts in his own way.”

After missiles are launched, Israel informs Washington

Nevertheless, after consulting with senior security officials, Netanyahu ordered the strike on Iran. Trump told Israeli media that Israel only informed the U.S. after the missiles had been launched, and he claimed to have successfully scaled down the attack, which some interpret as Netanyahu’s last-minute cancellation of a large-scale strike plan.

Meanwhile, Trump told Axios that five Middle Eastern countries called him to pressure Netanyahu to stop the attack. He said these countries “are very worried” and support the ongoing negotiations.

Trump also stated that on the morning of June 8, the U.S. received a message from Iran saying that as long as Israel stops, Iran is willing to cease fire: “They called us, saying they will not launch further attacks and asked us to tell Israel to stop attacking.”

The situation temporarily cooled down. An Israeli intelligence source pointed out that there were indeed disagreements during the call, but Netanyahu ultimately agreed that as long as Iran does not act, Israel will hold its fire. After the call, Netanyahu told senior military commanders to cancel the attack plans.

Same bed, different dreams: one needs war, the other needs peace

However, how long the ceasefire can last remains uncertain. Multiple U.S. and Israeli sources say that recent events over the past 24 hours once again demonstrate that the strategic interests of the U.S. and Israel are increasingly diverging, and their political calculations are worlds apart.

A U.S. official bluntly summarized the fundamental contradiction between these allies: “Bibi needs the war to continue to maintain his political life in Israel; Trump needs the war to end to sustain his political life in the U.S.”

During an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump also threatened: “We are very close to an agreement, or I will blow them to smithereens.” Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf retorted, saying Trump’s remarks about the draft memorandum of understanding contradict the actual agreements reached: “We have no trust in the other side.”

The window for ceasefire may still be open, but the cracks between the U.S. and Israel are now impossible to hide.