General Discussion

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the White House for clarifications earlier this week after learning Trump administration officials might be communicating with the Iranian regime, two sources with knowledge of the issue said.

Why it matters: Netanyahu's outreach suggests the Israeli government is concerned about a scenario in which the U.S. pursues a ceasefire before all of Israel's war objectives have been achieved.

Behind the scenes: The sources said Israeli intelligence obtained information earlier this week that raised suspicions that some kind of communications had taken place between Iran and the Trump administration to discuss a ceasefire.

On Monday, Netanyahu called White House officials and asked if such talks or exchange of messages happened.

"The White House told Bibi that the Trump administration wasn't talking to the Iranians behind his back," one source said.
Zoom in: A U.S. official said special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner talk almost every day to Netanyahu, to the director of Mossad David Barnea, and to other Israeli officials — and that regardless of ups and downs in the past, the coordination over the last month was very close.