'Crazy' phone call between Trump and Netanyahu complicates Iran talks

In Lebanon, however, those interests slightly diverge, with Israel vowing to target the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia even as US-Iran talks continue. Iran has insisted that any ceasefire must also include Lebanon.It comes as a growing percentage of the American public has grown critical of longstanding US support for Israel.One Pew Research Poll released in April found that 60% of Americans now hold a negative view of Israel. Before the start of the war with Hamas in 2023, 42% held a negative view.Several prominent conservative figures have also publicly spoken out against what they perceive as an Israeli role in convincing Trump to go to war in Iran, which the White House and Netanyahu deny.Among the prominent critics of the war is Joe Kent, who led the National Counterterrorism Center before resigning in March, citing a belief that "we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby".The pro-Israel lobbying group, the Israel-public-affairs-committee" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="129599" data-entity-type="organization">American Israel Public Affairs Committee, responded to Kent's exit by reposting a statement accusing him of trafficking in "old-age antisemitic tropes".In this political climate, some observers believe that Trump has an incentive to disagree with Netanyahu to placate critics at home in the US."I think there is a political necessity now to create daylight between Israel and the US," Bruen added.