Trump-Netanyahu Rift Widens Over Potential Deal With Iran: Report

Sunday, 11 May 2025 6:56 PM

US President Donald Trump (left) meets with Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel at the White House, April 7, 2025, in Washington.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is “worried about any deal” the Trump administration might strike with Iran, according to NBC News.

Citing a source familiar with the situation, the American news network on Sunday published a report highlighting growing friction between US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu over Washington's Iran policy and Israel's war in Gaza.

Netanyahu's concerns come as the latest round of indirect talks between Iran and the US ended in Muscat, with Tehran calling them "difficult, but useful," and both sides agreeing to hold further negotiations.

Israel, however, is “worried about any deal” between Tehran and Washington, said NBC News, citing two US officials and West Asian diplomats.

It said that twice in just this past week alone, the US president made public comments that “rankled Netanyahu.”

Netanyahu, it said, was particularly upset when Trump said on May 7 that he had yet to decide whether Iran would be allowed to enrich uranium under a possible new deal.

“We haven’t made that decision yet,” Trump said on Wednesday when asked if Washington's stance is that Iran can have a uranium enrichment program for civilian nuclear purposes.

According to one of the US officials, a top adviser to Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, conveyed that message to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting at the White House on May 8.

Netanyahu has threatened that, with Trump's support, Israel will strike Iran's nuclear facilities.  

When he visited the White House last month, for the second time since Trump took office, he hoped the president would pledge Washington’s air support for an Israeli attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to two West Asian diplomats.

Netanyahu, they said, was taken aback when the president instead announced he would agree to direct talks with Tehran.

Iran once again urges the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to adopt a clear position on threats made against the country’s peaceful nuclear facilities.

The officials said that Netanyahu had privately said at the time that he thinks Trump’s negotiations with Iran are a waste of time.

For his part, Trump has also been frustrated with Netanyahu’s decision to expand the military offensive in Gaza.

Washington is currently pushing Tel Aviv and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, which Dermer was set to discuss with Witkoff during his White House visit this week, according to the West Asian diplomats and a senior Trump administration official.

However, Trump’s approach to Iran has been the biggest point of contention with Netanyahu, the report said.