Iran Ramps Up Hormuz Pressure... Trump Urges Netanyahu to Ceasefire in Lebanon

U.S. President Donald Trump personally shared an article on social media stating that the political future of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in his hands. With Iran threatening to blockade the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israel’s attack on Lebanon, Trump’s post is interpreted as a warning for Netanyahu to exercise restraint after the Israeli leader poured cold water on a potential U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

On June 20 (local time), President Trump shared an article from the American online media outlet 'Just the News' on his Truth Social platform, titled 'Netanyahu’s Shaky Re-election Chances, Trump Holds the Cards.'

The article includes Trump’s remarks in an interview with an Israeli outlet, where he said, “We’ll have to see who runs (in the Israeli election). I have a good relationship with Bibi (Netanyahu’s nickname), but he needs to be more rational.” The article also notes that while Trump said he is most likely to support Netanyahu, he mentioned rival candidates such as former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot.

Recently, Israel bombed Lebanon targeting the pro-Iranian armed group Hezbollah while U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks were underway. At the time, President Trump reportedly raised his voice in a phone call filled with expletives, telling Netanyahu, “You’re crazy,” “You’re ungrateful,” and “If it weren’t for me, you’d be in jail.” This appears to refer to Trump’s previous political support for Netanyahu amid the prime minister’s ongoing corruption trial.

However, even after the signing of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire MOU, Israel has continued its airstrikes on Lebanon. Moreover, when Iran abruptly closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing Israel’s violation of the ceasefire MOU, President Trump renewed his pressure on Netanyahu.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that as the White House pursues a diplomatic exit strategy to end the war with Iran, the relationship between the two leaders has deteriorated to an irreparable degree. According to sources cited by the WSJ, Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly called for stronger military action against Iran during calls, which has left President Trump feeling fatigued.

Prime Minister Netanyahu appears to be facing the greatest political crisis since taking office. There are even predictions that he could be ousted in the general election scheduled for October. In addition to facing legal risks, he is also being criticized for his security failures, particularly for not preventing the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, in which over 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were abducted.

If he stops the war against Hezbollah, it is highly likely that the coalition government that installed him as prime minister will collapse, he will lose power, and judicial proceedings against him will accelerate. The leaders of the far-right factions allied with Netanyahu have consistently opposed any compromise with Hezbollah—considered a major security threat to Israel—or withdrawal from occupied territories in Lebanon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.