But as ever Netanyahu will have at least two plans in mind. “The first to change the regime, not necessarily directly by war, but to start something that in the end will lead to its demise. Second, the subordinate one to stop Iran’s nuclear program and to open the way to Saudi Arabia signing on to the Abraham Accords,” Shtrauchler says. He has been patient and tenacious, getting the ducks lined up, not just with Trump but in terms of his war Cabinet and military commanders as well.
“Since the October 7, he’s been going step by step,” Shtrauchler says. “One of the biggest debates was with his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who wanted to attack Lebanon in the first week. And he said, ‘No, we’re not ready. We need to do it step by step.’ He started with Gaza. Then Lebanon. He had luck with Syria with Bashar al-Assad’s fall.”
That Netanyahu has become more confident and brazen thanks to the breathtaking success of the decapitation strategy of the Israeli military and intelligence services, which has exploded the incompetence of the Iranian regime, is becoming clear. He started out publicly talking in terms of taking out Iran’s nuclear program. But over the weekend and this week he has been weighing in more about regime change.
And on Monday, Netanyahu said killing Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei, would “end the conflict.” The military tactics have also been shifting. The targets and methods broadening to ministries, state television and car bombs, for example.
It is indeed a remarkable Bibi turnaround. He and his closest aides knew a reelected Trump wouldn’t be easy, that he wouldn’t hand them a blank check. Trump harbored residual distrust of Netanyahu and he was unlikely to endorse everything he might want.
Quick and effusive lauding has been part and parcel of a months-long effort to get back into the president’s good graces, after the Israeli leader had enraged him in 2020. Back then, Trump had complained Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to congratulate Democrat Joe Biden while the outgoing president was still disputing the election results. “Bibi could have stayed quiet,” an irritated Trump later groused.
When Trump toured last month the Gulf, where the Arab leaders pressed him to secure another Gaza ceasefire and to press on with the negotiations with Iran, Netanyahu kept his counsel and offered no complaint that a trip to Israel wasn’t included. When Trump lifted sanctions on Syria, a move Netanyahu opposed, he kept quiet too, all the while hoping to tempt Trump into endorsing his ambition of humbling Tehran’s clerical leaders.
Now some Trump loyalists are shaping a narrative of how Netanyahu and Trump together outfoxed Iran and lulled the mullahs into thinking the dealmaker would restrain Netanyahu . More likely Trump, too, was outfoxed by the grandmaster.