Why Benjamin Netanyahu poses an obstacle to US and Iran peace deal

If there is to be a peace deal between United States and Iran, it will have to go through a familiar obstacle: Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s military operations in Lebanon have become a sticking point in the talks for a potential opening of the strait of Hormuz – once again testing the volatile alliance between Donald Trump and Netanyahu . This time, the Israeli prime minister is under exceptional pressure to show that his campaigns against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran have brought results as he faces elections with his political survival at risk. The Israeli leader’s threats on Monday to bomb the southern suburbs of Beirut in order to dislodge Hezbollah led Iran to say it would cut off negotiations with the United States until that conflict was frozen. Trump, facing the collapse of talks after he had claimed a deal was imminent, replied: “I think we’ve been talking too much.” The crisis culminated in a phone call – by one account stormy – between Trump and Netanyahu. “What the fuck are you doing?” Trump said to the Israeli prime minister , one official told Axios, a US outlet that has frequently had inside access to Trump’s frustration with Netanyahu. “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me,” another person characterised Trump’s remarks. That account is disputed. …