Apr 13, 2026 14:43 pm IST

Opinion | Why Netanyahu Is Both The Happiest And The Most Anxious Man Right Now

Without US support, it is hard for Israel to fight any war. Netanyahu knows that. Can he revive his fortunes as his own countrymen and Trump grow weary of his war?

Naresh Kaushik Naresh Kaushik Columnist

Naresh Kaushik Columnist

The failure of the Iran-US talks in Islamabad has sparked fears of a resumption of war after Trump's announcement that the US will blockade the Strait of Hormuz. But for Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, such an outcome appears to be an answer to his prayers - and even to his efforts. The talks, following Trump's unilateral announcement of a two-week ceasefire last week, were not part of the script Netanyahu thought he had drafted with the American president. That decision left the Israeli leader isolated and even angry. He wanted to continue the war until his objectives were achieved.

Netanyahu reluctantly halted airstrikes on Iran after the ceasefire announcement, but within hours, he dramatically escalated attacks on Iran's proxy, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. In just 10 minutes, Israeli jets bombed 100 targets across the country, killing more than 300 people, many of them civilians. He insisted that Lebanon was not part of the two-week truce, despite Iran and Pakistan saying it was - although US officials backed Netanyahu's claim. 

Nevertheless, Israel's action jeopardised the ceasefire's future.

Israel continued its attacks in Lebanon even when the Iranian and US teams were meeting in Pakistan, despite Trump asking Netanyahu to scale back the military operation. It remains unclear whether Netanyahu was defying the American president or acting with his blessing to pressure Tehran. Either way, the result hardened Iran's position. Tehran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed to oil tankers, in violation of the ceasefire terms.

Trump's decision to hold ceasefire talks with Iran caught Netanyahu off guard. He was, clearly, unhappy and unprepared. Iran's resilience during the 40-day conflict and its use of the Strait of Hormuz as a chokepoint for shipping in the Gulf forced Trump to seek a ceasefire with Tehran, as the war was proving too costly for him, both politically and economically. Saturday's 21-hour talks in Pakistan, which even included a face-to-face meeting between Iran and the US for the first time in almost half a century, must have alarmed Netanyahu. He feared that Trump might concede too much to Iran to secure a deal at a meeting where Israel was not even invited.

Israel doesn't care about the........

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