⚠️ U.S.-ISRAEL COORDINATION, TURKEY, GAZA AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
⚖️ U.S.-ISRAEL COORDINATION FACES REPORTED STRAINS: Axios reports that people in President Trump’s orbit have grown increasingly skeptical and disillusioned with Prime Minister Netanyahu in the months since their February meeting.
One U.S. official told Axios: “Many of Trump’s closest advisers think that Bibi was wrong about everything.”
Israeli i24 News reported that President Trump asked Netanyahu not to escalate the situation in Lebanon so as not to disrupt ongoing contacts with Iran. Netanyahu subsequently instructed the IDF to postpone the operation in the Ali al-Taher area of southern Lebanon, according to the report.
Netanyahu denied the report, stating: “I heard reports in the media claiming that President Trump asked us not to take action against terrorist tunnels in Lebanon. That’s a myth — fake news. He didn’t say anything to me about it, and I didn’t ask him. We act according to our own considerations.”
The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu and President Trump held a phone call and agreed to meet in Washington.
🇹🇷 NETANYAHU OPPOSES TURKEY F-35 ACCESS: Prime Minister Netanyahu said Turkey should not receive F-35 aircraft or fighter jet engines, warning it would upset the regional balance maintained by Israeli air superiority and America’s posture in the Middle East, adding: “I don’t think they should be given F-35s or the engines for their fighter jets.”
He added: “They finance Hamas, they harbor Hamas. They roll out the red carpet for Hamas. They’re in fact supporting the bad guys.”
Netanyahu also said: “Turkey didn’t lift a finger to help you [USA] in Iran. We did. We fought next to your great soldiers.”
❗️ HAMAS DISSOLVES GAZA GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS: Hamas has dissolved its governing institutions in the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli security source told Walla: “Hamas has no intention of disarming, surrendering its weapons, or destroying the tunnels. The resignation of the Hamas government is a symbolic step aimed at showing a change to Washington and the Peace Council.”
⚓ U.S. NAVY ENDS SEARCH FOR MISSING SAILOR: The U.S. Navy has ended its search for a sailor missing since the July 1 crash of an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter in the Arabian Sea and has declared the sailor deceased.
The search lasted more than 102 hours, covered over 14,000 square miles, and involved U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft, two carrier strike groups, five guided-missile destroyers, P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, and multiple helicopter squadrons.
The sailor’s identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
⚠️ REPORT: U.S.-SAUDI DISPUTE DURING IRAN CONFLICT: During the Iran conflict, Saudi Arabia initially refused to allow the United States to use its bases and airspace for Operation Project Freedom, forcing Washington to temporarily halt the mission. According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House warned it could delay deliveries of missile-defense interceptors unless Riyadh reversed its decision, after which Saudi Arabia relented.
The report says the dispute strained U.S.-Saudi relations, with Washington now considering reducing its military presence in the kingdom and shifting resources toward allies such as Israel and Jordan.
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