US-Israel rift deepens over Washington’s push to wind down 3 fronts: Report

A rift between Israel and the US is deepening as Washington pushes to wind down fighting in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, Israeli broadcaster Channel 13 reported Sunday.

Citing unnamed political sources, it said US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper conveyed the message during a visit to Israel on Saturday that Washington wants progress toward "closing the three fronts."

The push has exposed differences over how far Israel is prepared to scale back its military operations across the region.

Israeli military officials told their US counterparts that Israel intends to preserve its freedom to act against Iran if Tehran continues developing its nuclear program or rebuilding its ballistic missile capabilities, according to the report.

In Lebanon, Washington is pushing for further Israeli withdrawals from positions inside the security zone in the south, Channel 13 said.

In Gaza, the US is pressing for progress and the deployment of a multinational force that currently includes hundreds of troops from Morocco and Uganda, according to the broadcaster.

Israeli security officials have also raised objections with the political leadership in recent days over US demands to halt targeted killings and scale back military operations in Gaza, the report said.

Channel 13 noted that those demands do not explicitly appear in proposals currently under discussion.

A senior Israeli military officer cited by the broadcaster said Washington's message to Israel's security establishment was to "move toward closing the three fronts."

The report came as US President Donald Trump signaled Sunday that Washington is taking a more restrained approach toward Iran for now.

"We are low keying it," Trump told the Axios news site, adding the US is "only semi-negotiating" with Iran while closely watching pressure on its economy.

"We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money," he said, signaling that Washington is prepared to rely on mounting economic pressure rather than immediately launch a new military offensive.

The developments come against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions since Feb. 28, when Israel and the US launched coordinated attacks on Iran targeting military, nuclear and energy infrastructure.

Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israeli and US targets across the region.

On June 18, Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding through Pakistani and Qatari mediation, ending active hostilities and launching negotiations toward a final agreement.

The talks later stalled over disputes related to maritime security and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.