In a Nutshell: Trump Claims Full Agreement Between US and Israel, Tensions with Iran Persist
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U.S. President Trump advocates for total unity between America and Israel. - Trump promises complete unification between the U.S. and Israel
According to US President Donald Trump, there's complete harmony between the United States and Israel. In a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which also involved discussions about Iran, Trump made clear his unwavering support for Israel, according to White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
Trump also underscored the US's desire to reach an agreement with Iran, but Iran must make a decision, Trump emphasized. He reiterated that Iran should never possess nuclear weapons.
Previously, Trump had barely mentioned on the Truth Social platform that he had spoken with Netanyahu about various topics such as trade and Iran. "The conversation went swimmingly. We're on the same page in every aspect," he wrote.
However, the "New York Times" had recently reported that Trump had denied Israel support for a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, planned for early May. Multiple scenarios for attacks on Iranian nuclear sites were under consideration, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed US government officials. The majority of these plans required US military support.
The Israeli government had expected Trump to support the plans, it was reported further. After several US government members expressed doubts, Trump reportedly decided against supporting the attack plans and announced negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program shortly thereafter.
In a week, the family of a hostage held in the Gaza Strip released further parts of a video showing the hostage. "One and a half years of suffering - every day is hell. There's nothing to eat, nothing to drink, I'm sick most of the time," says the 21-year-old Rom Braslavski in the video. "When I'm sick again, no one will take me to a hospital. What's going to happen is simple: I'll die and they'll bury me in a pit."
In contrast to the previously released part of the video, Braslavski's face is clearly visible in the new footage. The family decided to release the images, "so that his plea can be heard," as reported by "The Times of Israel," quoting the family. "He's not just crying, he's begging us to save him."
Braslavski was kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023. He is now held captive by the Islamic Jihad, which published the video on their channels. It remains unclear under what circumstances the video was filmed. The family of the hostage had agreed to the publication of a condensed version of the video in Israeli media.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington. The meeting focused on finding common responses to challenges in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria, as stated by the US State Department. Qatar, along with Egypt, is mediating indirect talks between Israel and the Islamist Hamas over a new truce and the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli military reports, a rocket was fired from Yemen towards northern Israel. Air defense alarms were activated in the port city of Haifa and surrounding areas. The rocket was likely intercepted, the Israeli military said. Since the start of the Gaza war, the Houthi militia in Yemen has regularly fired rockets or drones at targets in Israel and ships in the Red Sea. The group, like Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon, is supported by Israel's arch-enemy Iran.
- Donald Trump
- Israel
- USA
- Iran
- US President
- Gaza Strip
- Military
- Benjamin Netanyahu
- Tel Aviv
- Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
- Karoline Leavitt
- Washington
- Tehran
- New York Times
Detailed Insights:
Recent developments in US-Israel relations and potential US-Iran negotiations during Trump’s second term reveal a mix of diplomatic leverage and strategic ambiguity, with unresolved key issues such as Gaza’s future and Iran’s nuclear status:
US-Israel Relations: Leverage and Cease-Fire Dynamics
During Trump’s presidency, he successfully pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement a phased cease-fire agreement in January 2025 by leveraging Netanyahu’s political survival instincts and Trump’s popularity among the Israeli public[2]. However, the U.S. granted Israel autonomy over subsequent phases, leading to a breakdown: Israel resumed bombing and restricted aid to Gaza after the first phase lapsed[2].
Conflicting Priorities
- Diplomatic Alignment: Trump and Netanyahu emphasized their unity during an April 7, 2025, White House meeting, focusing on trade deficit reductions and mutual praise for combating antisemitism[4].
- Gaza Governance: Trump stated Hamas would not retain control but avoided specifics, while Hamas offered to cede governance without disarming—rejected by both Israel and the US[3].
- Regional Diplomacy: Trump plans a May 2025 Middle East trip (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE) to address Gaza reconstruction and advance the Arab-backed two-state solution[2][3].
Abraham Accords Expansion and Iran Negotiations
Trump reiterated plans to expand the Abraham Accords, claiming “many countries” seek normalization with Israel[5]. Concurrently, the US is engaged in “very serious meetings” with Iran over its nuclear program, framing negotiations as a binary: “deal or no deal”[5].
Conflicting Reports
- Iran’s Red Lines: The search results lack clarity on Iran’s concessions but suggest Trump’s approach mirrors his earlier “maximum pressure” tactic, now combined with direct diplomacy.
- Saudi Role: Saudi Arabia’s co-hosting of a June 2025 summit on the two-state solution hints at broader regional coordination, though Trump’s leverage over Israel remains untested beyond cease-fire enforcement[2][5].
- In a recent development, US President Donald Trump has expressed his unwavering support for Israel, emphasizing the complete harmony between the United States and Israel.
- According to reports, Iran is a topic of interest in the discussions between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Trump reiterating that Iran should never possess nuclear weapons.
- Despite Trump's assertion of a full agreement between the US and Israel, a recent report by the New York Times suggests that Trump had denied Israel support for a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, planned for early May.
- The Israeli government was reportedly expecting Trump to support the plans, but after several US government members expressed doubts, Trump reportedly decided against supporting the attack plans.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington to discuss finding common responses to challenges in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria. Qatar, along with Egypt, is mediating indirect talks between Israel and the Islamist Hamas over a new truce and the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
