From the Iraq War to Iranian Aggression: Netanyahu's Deeds Revealed and Painful Consequences for the US

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TEL AVIV—After several weeks of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, this confrontation has entered a phase of fragile ceasefire, which has reduced the intensity of attacks without resolving the direction of the conflict.

However, behind this calm, a more complex picture emerges: the unstable relationship between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This relationship has driven a war that neither of them appears to have a clear plan for ending, according to analysts.

Reports in British media offer a different perspective to understand what has happened, focusing on how Netanyahu pushed for escalation, then Trump adopted that path before becoming trapped in its political and strategic consequences.

Architect of Escalation

Ian Perel in the newspaper The Independent, quoted by Aljazeera, Wednesday (15/4/2026), argues that Netanyahu is not merely a partner in the recent US escalation, but one of its main architects.

The author highlights Netanyahu’s role in promoting the 2003 Iraq invasion, when he portrayed the war as a way to weaken Iran.