‘Trump needs Netanyahu to not mess things up for him in Iran and Gaza’

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Feb 13, 2026

Ben Samuels, Haaretz’s Washington correspondent covering U.S.-Israel relations, unpacks the rushed Trump-Netanyahu meeting. He discusses Israel’s push to broaden Iran talks beyond nukes. He outlines Trump’s mixed signals on military action. He examines how Gaza, domestic politics and U.S. military moves shape the leaders’ calculations.

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INSIGHT

Inconsistent U.S. Iran Policy

Trump's Iran policy is inconsistent and driven by shifting whims rather than a coherent strategy.
Ben Samuels says this creates mixed signals for advisers and regional partners and complicates coordination with Israel.

INSIGHT

Israel's All-Inclusive Deal Demand

Israel demands that ballistic missiles and proxy activity be included in any Iran deal, not just nuclear limits.
Samuels notes Israel and Trump are 'more aligned than not' despite intermittent disagreements.

INSIGHT

Divergent Israeli Views On Striking Iran

Israeli views on attacking Iran vary across the government and military, creating internal disagreement.
Samuels says the U.S. is assembling forces but Trump is not rushing into open-ended war.

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Following the hastily arranged three-hour meeting between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, it still remains unclear whether a military attack on Iran is in the cards, but the two leaders appear “more aligned than not” on their positions, Haaretz’s Washington D.C. correspondent Ben Samuels said on the Haaretz Podcast.

“Whether or not that turns into a world war remains to be seen,” he added, in view of the “Armada in the Middle East and more military assets on their way” that the United States has positioned around Iran to keep the option of a military move on the table.

Netanyahu rushed to Washington to lobby Trump to hold firm in his negotiations with Iran to include demands beyond a halt to their nuclear program. The Israeli position is that in order to forestall an attack, Iran must be forced to limit their ballistic missile capabilities and support for regional proxy organizations – in addition to a commitment from Tehran to improve its treatment of protesters, who have been killed in the tens of thousands by the regime in since late December.

“What you're seeing from Israel is a very articulated view that any sort of negotiation at any deal has to be all inclusive,” Samuels said.

The Trump administration’s position, by contrast, he said, is far from clear.

“Part of this is intentional misdirection on Trump's part, but part of it is also very unintentional. Trump is doing diplomacy by the seat of his pants and by whatever whims are taking over him at that very moment.”

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