Should you go down a well with Netanyahu's rope?

U.S. President Donald Trump has been drawn into the great mistake of going down a well with Netanyahu's rope. Now Trump is struggling to get out of this dark well. The unjust war of the US and Israel against Iran has not achieved its political goals; on the contrary, it has created new problems, foremost among them the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This amounts to a strategic failure for the US.

The negotiation table set up between the US and Iran in Islamabad collapsed after Iran refused to accept American terms. Trump then announced that he would impose a "naval blockade" on Iran. However, this blockade will harm not so much Iran, Russia, or China, but rather America's own allies in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. These three countries obtain the vast majority of the energy they need from the Gulf. Isn't it telling that Trump is responding to the Iran war with a blockade that will harm his allies and increasingly alienate them?

On the other hand, working Americans will also find their daily lives more difficult, especially due to rising diesel prices. For American farmers and truckers, the increase in costs will make food and fertilizer supplies more expensive. This situation is expected to be among the main issues that will severely challenge Republicans in the midterm elections to be held in November.

Netanyahu has no interest in either the worsening of Americans' daily lives or the political risk to Republicans. Focused solely on advancing his own personal agenda, Netanyahu has once again derailed negotiations between the US and Iran by expanding the war to Lebanon. In a statement to Time magazine in early April, Trump said of the Israelis: "They do whatever I tell them. They've been good team players. When I stop, they stop." Now, by claiming that Lebanon is not covered by the ceasefire, Netanyahu has left Trump hanging. Trump must be lamenting, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"

Trump's biggest mistake was to take on a war that the majority of Americans do not support, for the sake of Israel's interests. Not only voters who support Democrats, but also a very significant portion of young voters who vote for Republicans do not want this war.

Trump has even begun attacking those within his own camp who oppose this war. Taking a harsh stance against many important allies, starting with Tucker Carlson, Trump is throwing them under the bus in favor of Neocons, Christian Zionists, and the "Israel Lobby." The consequences of alienating Carlson, who has millions of young followers, and others will be felt in the November elections. So much so that many influential Trump supporters appear to have given up hope on Trump.

In the 2024 elections, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris lost both herself and her party's control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress by failing to commit to halting military aid to Israel. According to information leaked from the Democratic Party's still-unreleased "election autopsy report," the failure to take a clear stance on Israel played a very significant role in Harris's and the Democrats' electoral defeat. A similar debacle over Israel could befall the Republicans in the November elections.

Trump's obsession with saving Netanyahu from going to prison is a subject of great curiosity. Trump has repeatedly pressured Israeli President Isaac Herzog to issue a special pardon for Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption and bribery. Perhaps the most consistent stance of Trump's second term in office has been his frantic efforts to secure Netanyahu's pardon.

In a statement following the joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran that lasted about 12 days in June 2025, Trump said, "Bibi Netanyahu's case MUST BE DISMISSED IMMEDIATELY, or the Great Hero must be Pardoned." In the same statement, Trump also included the phrase, "It was the United States that saved Israel, and now it will be the United States that saves Bibi Netanyahu."

What could be the reason for Trump's dedication to pulling Netanyahu out of the hole he has fallen into? Trump knows that Netanyahu would commit any atrocity to save himself. Does Trump think that unless Netanyahu is saved, he himself cannot get rid of Netanyahu?

What Netanyahu owes his influence over Trump to remains a secret. The cards Netanyahu holds must be important enough to have driven Trump to attack Iran twice, despite public opposition. Sooner or later, what those cards are will be understood.