JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israeli officials believe that American pressure on Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon and from the Syrian Hermon is far from over, and is expected to intensify ahead of the anticipated signing of a memorandum of understanding with Iran on Friday.

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Sources in Israel warn that the messages coming from Washington are no longer limited to difficult conversations behind closed doors. If Israel continues to resist, they say, the dispute could move into a practical phase, including delays in weapons deliveries, security restrictions, and even measures resembling an arms embargo.

Trump’s unusual public remarks criticizing Israeli policy in Lebanon, along with personal jabs at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are being interpreted in Jerusalem as a deliberate signal of intense American pressure being applied behind the scenes. Israeli officials say that Trump has recently been exerting heavy pressure on Netanyahu to show greater flexibility on the northern front as part of his efforts to secure the signing of the memorandum of understanding with Tehran.

According to these officials, the American demands include an Israeli withdrawal from five positions in southern Lebanon, a withdrawal from the Syrian Hermon, and a significant reduction in military activities that could jeopardize the diplomatic process with Iran.

In Israel, there is a growing assessment that the Americans will not let the issue go. As the expected signing date approaches, another round of pressure from Washington is anticipated, particularly regarding Lebanon. Israeli officials fear that the administration will seek to extract an explicit commitment from Netanyahu to withdraw, or at least a formula that would allow Trump to present an Israeli-American achievement to the Arab world on the Lebanese front.

A greater concern relates to the nature of the messages arriving from Washington. Israeli sources say that the Americans are signaling that if Israel continues to refuse, the crisis will not remain confined to meeting rooms or sharp public statements. According to them, practical measures are also being considered, from delays in weapons shipments and restrictions on operational assistance to harsher steps that Israeli officials describe as potentially amounting to a de facto arms embargo.

On Thursday, during a press conference following the G7 summit in France, Trump chose to publicly express some of his disagreements with Netanyahu.

“With all due respect to Netanyahu, he is a very good person, but sometimes he gets a little too excited,” the president said. “We have a disagreement regarding Lebanon. I tell him he can take a somewhat gentler approach and doesn’t need to bring down an entire building every time.”

Trump later intensified his criticism, saying: “I think they can do better when it comes to Hezbollah. I’m not saying they shouldn’t defend themselves, but when two drones are launched into the desert and are shot down without causing damage, they don’t need to destroy buildings in Beirut.”

He added: “I looked at the pictures from there two days ago. It was a very large strike. In my opinion, it was unnecessary.”

In Israel, these comments are viewed as far more than a disagreement over the wording of an agreement. According to Israeli officials, Trump is seeking a security price from Israel in the north in exchange for the agreement he is trying to conclude with Iran, while also limiting the Israel Defense Forces’ freedom of action against Hezbollah and in Syria.

Israeli officials emphasize that the demands presented are not merely theoretical and that issues relating to Lebanon, Syria, and the Syrian Hermon have been raised in recent discussions with Netanyahu. According to them, the prime minister has rejected calls for a full withdrawal and has made clear that Israel will not agree to give up its security achievements in the north.

At the same time, Trump’s positions regarding Iran itself have also caused unease in Israel. The American president has stated that he does not view Iran’s ballistic missile program as a primary threat and has expressed opposition to demands that Tehran be stripped of that capability.

“There are people around me who say Iran shouldn’t have even a single missile. I don’t think they’re very smart,” Trump said. “What am I supposed to do—allow Saudi Arabia to have missiles but not Iran? That’s just not how the world works. Missiles are not the problem. They can hit a specific target, but they don’t blow up the world.”

He also added: “I told Bibi the greatest danger to you is a nuclear bomb being dropped in the middle of Israel. That’s why this is a good deal for you.”

These statements have reinforced the perception in Israel that Trump is determined to advance the agreement almost at any cost, even in the face of significant disagreements with Israeli positions and while downplaying the conventional military threat posed by Iran and its regional proxies.

The American president revealed that he had provided Israel with a copy of the emerging memorandum of understanding with Iran, which he said could be signed within days.

“If I don’t like it, we’ll go back to dropping bombs,” Trump said.

However, officials in Jerusalem fear that even if Trump leaves open the possibility of renewed military action, the very signing of the agreement would create a new diplomatic reality in which Israel would be expected to exercise restraint in the north.

One clause that has generated particular concern in Jerusalem was reportedly included in a draft version of the memorandum. According to that provision, Iran and the United States, together with their allies, would work to end fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Israeli officials fear that the practical consequence would be an American effort to use the agreement with Iran as a means of limiting Israel’s freedom of action against Hezbollah.

Behind the scenes, according to these sources, efforts are underway to repair relations with the White House. Possibilities such as arranging a meeting with Trump or sending a senior delegation to Washington have reportedly been explored. However, the officials say that no response has yet been received from the American side.