The interim memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran has moved the Middle East away from immediate war, but it has also placed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in one of the most difficult positions of his long political career.

Sent to the US Congress on June 19, the 14-point document, titled the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, commits Washington and Tehran to a 60-day negotiating period for a final settlement. It calls for a cessation of military operations, including on the Lebanon front, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the easing of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and technical talks on Iran’s nuclear file. Pakistan signed the document as a witness and mediator, giving Islamabad a rare place inside one of the most sensitive diplomatic tracks of the decade.

The White House has already signalled impatience, with Vice President JD Vance issuing an unusually blunt warning to Israeli hardliners, saying Donald Trump was “the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment.”

The White House has already signalled impatience, with Vice President JD Vance issuing an unusually blunt warning to Israeli hardliners, saying Donald Trump was “the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment.”

For Netanyahu, however, the agreement has landed as a strategic disruption. For decades, he built his political identity around three claims: that he could influence Washington, confront Iran, and guarantee Israel’s security through pressure. The emerging deal unsettles all three. It leaves unresolved issues Israel has long regarded as vital: Iran’s ballistic missile programme, Tehran’s support for Hezbollah and other regional allies, and key aspects of its nuclear activity. Sanctions relief, if it proceeds, could also give Tehran the economic space Israel had hoped the war would deny it.

The New York Times observed that the agreement “omits some of the most important things Israel wanted, while the BBC described it as a “political nightmare” for Netanyahu. CNN called it........

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