Trump Urges Restraint as U.S.-Israel Tensions Rise Over Iran Strikes

President Trump has urged Israeli officials to avoid further escalation in operations against Iran and its allies, according to multiple accounts of recent exchanges. The appeals followed Israeli strikes on a suspected Hezbollah site in Beirut that drew Iranian retaliation. The two-day exchange concluded Monday with visible signs of strain between Washington and Jerusalem.

Trump previously pressed for a ceasefire with Hamas after entering his second term. Israel later resumed operations in Gaza following a breakdown in talks. Tensions also surfaced last September after an Israeli strike on a Hamas meeting in Qatar. Netanyahu issued an apology during a meeting in the Oval Office.

Trump has supported strikes that destroyed three Iranian nuclear facilities and later backed additional operations in late February that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Analysts note that Trump has since focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the conflict, while Israeli priorities remain centered on ballistic missile capabilities and proxy threats.

Dan Rothem, senior policy analyst at Israel Policy Forum, told Newsweek that the two leaders have repeatedly shown greater alignment than many observers assume. Dennis Ross, a longtime U.S. official, said Trump possesses the capability to limit Israeli actions but exercises that leverage only when it aligns with his interests.

Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, stated that the interests of the United States and Israel have diverged since the start of the war. Hassan Beheshtipour, an Iranian international affairs analyst, said the United States could restrain Israel by halting arms sales or conditioning normalization agreements on a halt to attacks on Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Iraq.