TEHRAN – In Sunday’s commentary, Al Jazeera staff analyzed the history of their relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in their first term as US President (January 1997 to January 2021) until the current day when the two played against Iran.
Below is an excerpt from the article.
President Trump announced that his troops attacked three Iranian nuclear sites early on Sunday.
Trump also said Netanyahu and he worked in a way that “probably no team has ever worked before.” These admirable comments contrast with the much more crude language Trump used on Israeli leaders just four years ago, and their public tensions over Iran a month ago.
During his early morning hours in the Middle East, in his TV address on Sunday, Trump thanked and congratulated Netanyahu. “I would like to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,” he said.
“We were working as a team that perhaps our team had never worked before, and we have come a long way to erase this horrific threat to Israel,” Trump argued, referring to Iran’s nuclear facility.
However, Israel remains the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons, but has never officially recognized it.
The US strike continues 10 days of Israeli missile attacks against Iran, including its nuclear facility. Israel had no bombs needed to damage or destroy Iran’s most fortified nuclear site in Fordau, buried deep in the mountains. The US used its bunkerbuster bombs to strike Ford on Sunday, similar to the Natantz and Isfahan facilities.
On top of shape
Trump’s decision to match Netanyahu to lead the US to war with Iran split his support base “make America great again” (Maga).
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief has publicly said he does not believe Iran is building nuclear weapons. This is an assessment shared by the US intelligence reporting agency, drawing the same conclusion earlier this year.
But Trump recently said his hand-picked spy chief Tarsi Gabbard was “wrong” to the intelligence news community.
Trump gave Netanyahu the best service in his first term
Trump recognised Jerusalem (Al-Kud) as the capital of Israel and moved the US embassy there from Netanyahu’s iconic victory, Tel Aviv. Trump appointed an ideologically consistent ambassador with Israeli settler movement David Friedman in May 2017.
In March 2019, the US President became the only world leader to acknowledge Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights and support the annexation of an area internationally recognized as part of Syria.
In September 2020, Trump held the signing of the Abraham Agreement, normalizing relations between Israel and the four Arab countries, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan.
Trump officially withdraws the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA), commonly known as Iran’s nuclear deal, through a presidential declaration that reinstated US sanctions on Iran in May 2018.
This marked a major shift from previous US policy of implementing the JCPOA in January 2016 to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump declared the deal “flaws at its core.”
However, in an interview with Israeli journalist Barack Ravid in December 2021, Trump revealed that his relationship with Netanyahu has deteriorated after he congratulated the Israeli Prime Minister for congratulating him on his 2020 election victory.
“The first person to congratulate (Biden) was Netanyahu, the man who did more than the others I dealt with. Vivi may have been quiet. He made a terrible mistake.” “And not only did he bless him, he did it on tape.”
“f***he,” Trump said, expressing his rage.
Trump gathers behind Netanyahu’s massacre campaign against Palestinians
The next Trump administration initially claimed to mediate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but some observers noted that it might curb Israeli military campaigns, but soon gathered behind Netanyahu’s ongoing massacre campaign against Palestinians.
At a joint press conference this February, did Trump vehemently suggest that the US should “take over” the Gaza Strip, redevelop it, and relocate Palestinians? – A plan that Netanyahu publicly supported, saying, “Nothing is wrong.”
Netanyahu also said he is “committed to President Trump’s plan for the creation of another Gaza.” Later that month, the US approved Israel to sell $2.5 billion in weapons, including bombs and drones.
In March, Israel resumed a massive Air Force attack in Gaza after negotiations over the release of prisoners collapsed. The White House confirmed that Israel consulted Trump before the attack.
Meanwhile, in Iran, Trump’s position was seen in line with his own clear position due to his consistency with Netanyahu.
April 12 – June 13, 2025: The US was leading the Oman-born nuclear negotiations for the back-channel with Iran.
May: Trump said on a tour of the Persian Gulf that the US was in “very serious negotiations” with Iran and was “very close” to nuclear deals. On May 28, Trump told Netanyahu to curb the strike against Iran and give his administration time to push for a new nuclear deal. He told White House reporters he told Netanyahu the strike.
June 11-12: The IAEA argued that Iran was not transparent enough to its nuclear program, claiming that elements of its approach violated the country’s security agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The US has begun evacuation of local embassies. Has tensions skyrocketed as Trump said diplomacy has stagnated and suggested serious consequences? If you do not reach the transaction.
June 13: Israel launched a massive aviation strike at Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, killing nuclear scientists, academics and military commanders.
In the US’s first reaction to Israeli attacks on Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the strike “one-sided,” claiming Washington “is not involved in the strike against Iran and our top priority is protecting the US troops in the region.”
US-Iran talks regarding nuclear deals have been suspended. Trump admitted he knew Israel’s plans to attack Iran.
June 19: Trump expressed support for Israeli military operations almost a week after Israel’s war with Iran.
June 21: Trump coordinated with Israel to order US air attacks at nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.