Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to push for tougher military action against Iran’s missile infrastructure during his upcoming visit to the United States, signalling fresh friction between Israeli and US strategic priorities.
Netanyahu, who has warned of an Iranian threat for more than 30 years, welcomed US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year. The operation, authorised by President Donald Trump in June 2025, was framed by Washington as a contained and effective intervention. Trump later claimed the strikes had dismantled Iran’s nuclear development pipeline.
Despite that, Israeli officials say Tehran’s missile capabilities now pose the more urgent risk. Government figures and US political allies have argued that Iran’s long-range missile production remains active, resilient, and rapidly scaling again.
Policy Divide Grows Ahead of Mar-a-Lago Talks
Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Monday is now being viewed less as a diplomatic alignment and more as a negotiation over how far Washington is willing to back another round of military pressure.
Trump’s newly released National Security Strategy (NSS) projects a different long-term approach. The document emphasises regional partnerships, economic cooperation, and investment corridors while signalling that the US intends to scale down its military role in the Middle East. The strategy highlights diplomacy—not expanded conflict—as the preferred stabilising force in the region.
Netanyahu’s position, according to analysts, prioritises long-term military leverage over diplomatic de-escalation. The disagreement marks a rare public policy divergence between the two leaders, whose administrations previously ran parallel pressure campaigns on Tehran.
Republican Base Split on Foreign Escalation
The debate has also revealed a widening divide inside the Republican Party. While Trump’s America First voter base has increasingly opposed new foreign military entanglements, the party’s congressional leadership and major donors remain strongly supportive of Israel-aligned pressure on Iran.
Several influential conservative commentators have criticised expanded US involvement in foreign conflicts, instead urging a domestic-first focus as midterm elections approach in November 2026.
Still, Trump’s top foreign policy aide, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has maintained a firm stance on Iranian missile capacity, reflecting the administration’s internal push-and-pull between diplomacy, donors, and deterrence.
Iran Reactions Expected to Escalate if Strikes Continue
Iran has consistently stated that its missile and nuclear programmes are defensive and non-offensive in nature. However, analysts say a second wave of strikes may trigger faster, stronger retaliation from Tehran.
During the 2025 conflict in June, Iran launched hundreds of missiles toward Israel following military escalation initiated by Israeli forces. While many were intercepted, several penetrated Israel’s multi-layered air defence network.
Regional experts warn that repeated bombardment cycles could eventually force the US back into the conflict sphere if Israeli strikes proceed unilaterally while relying on US-led regional air defence systems to absorb counter-retaliation.
What Comes Next
With the nuclear debate paused and the missile debate rising, the core question remains: Will Washington back expanded strikes or double down on a reduced military footprint and diplomatic deterrence?
All eyes are now on Mar-a-Lago, where the next chapter of US–Israel–Iran policy will unfold—not on the battlefield, but across competing visions for the region’s