Israel reportedly denied access to US-Iran peace proposal during Trump-Netanyahu rift

The Israeli government has not been shown a memorandum of understanding (MoU) drawn up to end the war between the United States and Iran, according to an Israeli government official quoted by NBC News, underscoring rising tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv.

According to the reporter, the official said Israel had not seen the draft agreement even after US President Donald Trump said he had provided a copy of the memorandum of understanding to Israeli officials. Shortly after Trump’s remarks, the same source told the network that the Israeli government still had not received the document.

The source declined to say whether Israeli diplomats had formally requested access to the text and been denied.

Israel reportedly did not participate in the negotiations

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Israel’s exclusion from the talks stems from rising tensions between the US and Israel, particularly between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, which resulted in Israel not being presented with a draft memorandum of understanding.

Trump’s criticism has increased political pressure on Netanyahu, leading to concerns about the effectiveness and consequences of Israeli military actions in Lebanon that could affect Netanyahu’s standing domestically and in future negotiations.

Netanyahu’s government has not publicly responded to Trump’s concerns, despite facing backlash at home over its military strategy against Hezbollah and accusations of failing to adequately address Iranian threats.

The ramifications could be significant as public and political support for Netanyahu wanes amid perceptions of failure in the conflict, particularly with the upcoming elections where he may face scrutiny for being sidelined in key foreign policy discussions.

Iran’s foreign minister has said Israel’s military actions in Lebanon violate a memorandum of understanding it concluded with the US, arguing that the actions are undermining the peace framework and escalating tensions in the region.

According to the paper, Israel’s exclusion from the negotiations leading up to the agreement proved to be a significant challenge for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The report said public scrutiny of Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict has intensified at a time when his relationship with US President Donald Trump appears increasingly strained.

Trump publicly criticizes Netanyahu

The US president has sharply criticized Netanyahu and expressed frustration with Israel’s continued military operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Trump told reporters at the summit, “Without me there would be no Israel,” while calling Netanyahu a “crazy man” and questioning his judgment.

Trump was particularly drawn to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, where the fighting has caused widespread displacement and casualties.

Concerns about operations in Lebanon

Trump criticized what he described as overly destructive Israeli military actions in Lebanon.

“Too many people have been killed,” Trump said, according to the report. He added that entire apartment buildings should not be destroyed when targeting individual militants, as civilians are also present in these buildings.

Political pressure on Netanyahu

Netanyahu has not publicly responded to Trump’s criticism.

Israel joined the United States in military operations against Iran in late February and subsequently faced weeks of retaliatory rocket and drone attacks from Tehran.

Netanyahu’s government has faced criticism from some domestic parties for not doing enough to weaken Iran and Hezbollah.

Iran says Israeli attacks on Lebanon violate the US-Iran peace deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon and its presence in southern Lebanon violate the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Tehran and Washington to end the conflict.

Araghchi said ending the war in Lebanon was an “integral” part of a broader deal between the United States and Iran. He argued that Israeli forces must withdraw from territories occupied during the conflict for the war to be considered fully ended.

According to Araghchi, any future Israeli attacks on Lebanon or the continued deployment of Israeli troops in southern Lebanon would constitute a violation of the memorandum of understanding. He also claimed that the framework of the ceasefire applies on all fronts, including Lebanon.

His remarks come as clashes continue between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah despite the signing of the US-Iran deal. While Israel’s northern border has remained relatively calm since US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the deal, fighting continues in southern Lebanon.

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