The United States is resisting Israeli participation in its renewed military campaign against Iran, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s eagerness to join the strikes, two Israeli sources told CNN. The divergence surfaced after a sharp escalation this week saw US and Iranian forces exchange fire in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting President Donald Trump to declare the ceasefire memorandum of understanding “over”. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated publicly that the Israel Defense Forces are on high alert and prepared to resume the war “with even greater force”, including independently if required.

Viewed from Washington, the reluctance to involve Israel stems from a desire to keep the conflict contained. The Israeli sources said the Trump administration fears that Israeli participation would cause it to “lose control of the conflict”. The prevailing assessment in Israel, one source noted, is that Trump does not want to return to a full-scale war and that the maximum measure he is willing to contemplate is reimposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. This aligns with the US focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz after Iran targeted a commercial vessel. Israeli officials, while signalling readiness, have also told the Jerusalem Post that Israel is not planning to be drawn into the US-Iran exchanges at this time and that the current assumption is Iran does not intend to drag Israel into the conflict.

The renewed hostilities have drawn in other regional actors: Iran retaliated against US strikes by attacking bases in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, drawing condemnation from Gulf states. Mediators, including Pakistan and Qatar, are working to de-escalate tensions and bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table. According to the Axios news site, both sides had made progress toward an agreement in previous rounds of talks and wish to prevent the collapse of the memorandum of understanding. The US, while preparing for possible further strikes, is for now allowing diplomacy to take the lead, CNN reported.

The divergence between Washington and Jerusalem introduces a layer of uncertainty into an already volatile situation. Israel’s public declarations of readiness to act alone, coupled with ongoing intelligence updates and a high alert posture, signal that a unilateral Israeli operation remains a possibility if decision-makers in Tel Aviv conclude that Iranian threats require immediate neutralisation. For now, however, the US is keeping its ally at arm’s length, and the immediate focus of mediators is on salvaging the diplomatic track. The state of the dossier remains fluid: the ceasefire is effectively suspended, military postures on all sides are elevated, and the next concrete step is expected to be a further round of mediation efforts aimed at restoring the memorandum of understanding.