Trump and Netanyahu went to war together.  Are they still on the same page?

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Consider This from NPR
Episode: Trump and Netanyahu went to war together. Are they still on the same page?
Date: April 6, 2026
Host: Juana Summers
Guests: Franco Ordoñez (White House Correspondent), Daniel Estrin (International Correspondent, Tel Aviv)

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Episode Overview

This episode examines the evolving U.S.-Israel alliance amid the ongoing war with Iran, focusing on whether President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu remain aligned on strategy and desired outcomes. Through on-the-ground reporting and expert interviews, the episode explores shifts in military and political objectives, public sentiment in both nations, and the war's future trajectory.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Early U.S.-Israel Unity in the War Effort

• At the war’s outset, the U.S. and Israel operated as a tightly coordinated front with parallel operations: the U.S.'s "Epic Fury" and Israel’s "Roaring Lion" focused on degrading Iran’s military, targeting proxies, and thwarting nuclear ambitions.
• General Dan Kaine emphasized [01:17-01:47] ongoing coordination:

  "We have liaison officers on both sides routinely... That allows us to coordinate, integrate and synchronize activities while maintaining separate efforts."

2. Emerging Divergences After Six Weeks

• Juana Summers sets up the core question [01:47]:

  "But six weeks into the war, those efforts are now seeming to diverge... Are they still on the same page on how to end it?"

• Divergences are surfacing regarding tactics, end goals, and escalation level.

3. Trump and Netanyahu’s Goals: An Evolving Partnership

• Franco Ordoñez reports from a Trump press conference [04:10-04:47]:
  • Trump detailed a dramatic airman rescue and doubled down on threats to strike Iranian infrastructure if demands aren’t met by Tuesday—most notably, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Trump’s rhetoric [04:41]:

    "The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night."

• Daniel Estrin on Netanyahu’s changing objectives [05:11-06:24]:
  • Initial mutual intent for regime change in Iran is giving way to realism; Netanyahu acknowledges toppling the regime will "take time" and may not conclude with the war.
  • Israel shifted targets from military to economic, hitting steel and petrochemical sectors.
    • Notably, Trump previously asked Israel to stop attacking oil fields, a request that was complied with, indicating limits to alignment.
  • Recent U.S. threats to strike power plants suggest re-alignment with Israel's aggressive tactics.

4. Contradictory Rhetoric and Negotiation Possibility

• Franco Ordoñez, on whether Trump is serious or posturing [06:32-07:22]:
  • Trump is ambiguous—making grand threats but also allowing for negotiations and potential postponement of strikes.
  • An underlying desire to exit the war is apparent, but tied to Iran’s actions, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

  "Clearly Trump is looking to get out of this war... You can really see and hear that in his escalating rhetoric..." [06:32-07:22]
  Trump [07:22]: "We have to have a deal that's acceptable to me, and part of that deal is going to be we want free traffic of oil and everything else."

5. Israeli & American Public Opinion

In Israel:

• Daniel Estrin notes shift in Israeli public support [07:43-08:57]:
  • Still high but declining support—over 90% at the beginning, now down to 78%.
  • General fatigue and skepticism that the current war will end hostilities with Iran; fear of ongoing threats even if this phase ends.
  • Broad feeling that Israel and the U.S. misjudged Iran’s resilience.

In the U.S.:

• Franco Ordoñez on U.S. public sentiment [09:04-09:39]:
  • Widespread opposition to prolonging the war, even among Republicans.
  • Notable drop in approval of Trump among Republicans (from 52% in Jan to 43%).
  • Trump’s acknowledgement:

    "Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home." [09:39]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• General Dan Kaine (on U.S.-Israeli coordination) [01:17]:

  "We have liaison officers on both sides routinely... That allows us to coordinate, integrate and synchronize activities while maintaining separate efforts."

• President Trump (via Franco Ordoñez quoting at press conference) [04:41]:

  "The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night."

• Trump (on negotiating with Iran) [07:22]:

  "We have to have a deal that's acceptable to me, and part of that deal is going to be we want free traffic of oil and everything else."

• Daniel Estrin (on Israeli fatigue) [08:57]:

  "The longer this war drags on... Israelis talk about just feeling tired. They get woken up in the middle of the night multiple times by air raid sirens... there’s just very little belief that this is going to be Israel's last war with Iran."

• Franco Ordoñez (on American public desire to end involvement) [09:39]:

  "Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home."

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Key Timestamps

• [01:09] Early U.S.-Israel Coordination Explained (General Kaine)
• [03:19] Trump Press Conference Recap
• [04:41] Trump’s Major Threat to Iran
• [05:11] Estrin Explains Netanyahu’s Shifting Strategy
• [06:24] U.S.-Israel Alignment and Tactical Changes
• [07:22] Trump’s Conditions for a Deal
• [07:43] Israeli Public's Changing Attitude
• [09:04] American Public Opinion and War Weariness
• [09:39] Trump Acknowledgment of Public Sentiment

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Conclusion

The U.S. and Israel began the war with Iran as close partners, but six weeks in, differences in strategy, desired outcomes, and willingness to escalate are surfacing. Both nation’s leaders are pressured by evolving objectives and shifting public opinion at home, raising questions about the long-term durability of their alliance and the future course of the war.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a substantive understanding of current U.S.-Israeli relations in the context of the Iran conflict.

Transcript

[Juana Summers]

Hey, it's Juana. Before we get to today's episode, we wanted to ask you to do us a favor. We want to know what you think about. Consider this what interests you, what you like and what you don't, what keeps you listening. That's why we're hoping you'll take a couple of minutes to fill out the NPR News podcast Listener Survey. You can find it at npr.org springsurvey and don't be shy. We want to hear from everyone, even our new listeners and those who might not have taken one of our surveys before. Okay. On to today's episode. At the start of the war in Iran, the United States and Israel seemed to be a united front. Both countries had similar take down Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, target Iran's armed proxies, and end Iran's nuclear ambitions. Here's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on

[Pete Hegseth]

March 4, only the United States of

[Franco Ordonez]

America could lead this, only us.

[Pete Hegseth]

But when you add the Israeli Defense Forces, a devastatingly capable force, the combination is sheer destruction for our radical Islamist Iranian adversaries.

[Juana Summers]

In that same briefing, General Dan Kaine was asked about two different operations, Israel's Roaring lion and the United States Epic Fury.

[Pete Hegseth]

You have two parallel operations, Epic Fury and Roaring Lion. How are you making sure they're not interfering with each other, sir? I'm happy to take that. Thank you. Thank you for the question. We have liaison officers on both sides routinely. Admiral Cooper is talking to the IDF chief of defense, and I will occasionally speak to him through the arc of this. I've spoken to him a few times already. That allows us to coordinate, integrate and synchronize activities while maintaining separate efforts.

[Juana Summers]

But six weeks into the war, those efforts are now seeming to diverge. Consider this. The United States and Israel are waging a war against Iran together. But are they still on the same page on how to end it? From npr, I'm Juana Summers.

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[Juana Summers]

It's Consider this from npr. The world has been waiting and watching to see what happens next in Iran today. In a rambling news conference that lasted over an hour, President Trump discussed the war with Iran and the rescue of an American airman over the weekend, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Kaine also spoke, but only Trump took questions. Throughout this war, President Trump has had a key ally in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They spoke yesterday after the rescue operation in Iran on Israel contributed intelligence toward that mission. To discuss this crucial partnership, I'm joined by NPR's White House correspondent Franco Ordonez and NPR international correspondent Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Hi to both of you.

[Franco Ordonez]

Hi, Juana.

[Daniel Estrin]

Hi, Juana.

[Juana Summers]

Franco, I want to start with you, if I can. You were in the room at that press conference. Tell us what you heard.

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah, I mean, he gave a very detailed description of the search and rescue operation for that airman, saying that 155 aircraft were involved and that there was a lot of subterfuge to try and distract the Iranians while they were searching for the pilot. And he emphasized that no American would be left behind. But at the same time, he also doubled down on some of those dramatic threats of strikes on power plants and bridges if Iran, as you noted, doesn't meet a deadline Tuesday. That includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

[Pete Hegseth]

The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.

[Franco Ordonez]

And he told reporters repeatedly that he is not worried about being accused of war crimes. When asked specifically about hits to Iranian bridges and power plants, he said Iranians were, quote, willing to suffer that in order to have freedom.

[Juana Summers]

Daniel, to you. Convincing the US to attack Iran alongside Israel has been a long held dream for Prime Minister Netanyahu. What does he hope this war will achieve?

[Daniel Estrin]

Well, Juana, Prime Minister Benjamin NETanyahu and President Trump's goals for this war have actually shifted throughout the war on regime change in Iran. Israel and the US Both said that they were or creating the conditions for Iranian civilians to topple the regime. That's what Trump and Netanyahu said at the beginning of the war but already Netanyahu has been admitting in recent days and weeks that regime change will take time and may not happen by the end of this war. And military targets that Israel is targeting have also shifted. Israel began with a focus on degrading Iran's military capabilities, and now Israel says that it's focusing on hurting Iran, Iran's economy and bombing some of its biggest industries, its biggest money making industries, steel and petrochemicals. And, you know, in the past, Trump actually ordered Israel to stop hitting further oil fields. Israel did that several weeks ago. But Trump's recent threat to bomb power plants in Iran as early as tomorrow evening, that they seem to bring the US Far more in line with Israel's tactics here.

[Juana Summers]

Franco, is President Trump serious about these aims at the same time that he's acknowledging room for negotiation on a possible ceasefire?

[Franco Ordonez]

I mean, he says he's very serious, but at the same time, I do want to note, Juana, that he doesn't. I mean, he says he doesn't know ultimately what he's going to do because that will depend on what Iran does. And I should also add that Trump has made similar threats to bomb the power plants before and then later postponed those strikes to allow for negotiations. And as for the ceasefire, Trump did not give specifics, but said earlier that they are negotiating and have made a significant step. I mean, clearly Trump is looking to get out of this war. I mean, you can really see and hear that in his escalating rhetoric, the threats trying to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which he said today was a critical priority to ending this conflict.

[Pete Hegseth]

We have to have a deal that's acceptable to me, and part of that deal is going to be we want free traffic of oil and everything else.

[Juana Summers]

Daniel, if the US does ramp up its strikes in Iran, as President Trump is threatening, by 8:00pm tomorrow, is Israel supportive of that? Does the Israeli public support a prolonged conflict?

[Daniel Estrin]

Israel's military spokesman said that Israel actually has battle plans for the next three weeks in case we don't see a ceasefire. And in the Israeli public, there is high support for the war, unlike in the US Because Israelis, you know, feel the impact of Iranian missiles raining on their cities. And they, many Israelis, say they want Iran's capabilities degraded. But you do see slipping support for the war in opinion polls in Israel among Jewish Israelis. At the very beginning of the war, there was over 90% support, and now that has dropped to around 78%. And the longer this war drags on, Juana, the more Israelis talk about just feeling tired. They get woken up in the middle of the night multiple times by air raid sirens. They're running into shelters every day. And more than that, there's just very little belief that this is going to be Israel's last war with Iran. They think it will just be a matter of time before Iran rebuilds. And, you know, a majority of Israelis in a poll say that Israel and the US Actually misjudged Iran's strength. Iran keeps managing to fire missiles at Israel and the entire region.

[Juana Summers]

Franco, last thing, what about the American public? How would Americans feel about fighting a longer war if it does come to that?

[Franco Ordonez]

I mean, they're not too happy about that idea. Polling shows that Americans oppose the war in Iran, and that includes an increasing number of Republican supporters of the president. I mean, a CNN poll released last week showed that Republicans who approve of Trump's job performance dropped to 43% compared to 52% in January. And Trump seemed to acknowledge that, saying if it was up to him, that he'd like more time to go and get control of the oil. But he said, and these are his words, unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home.

[Juana Summers]

That's NPR's Franco Ordonez in Washington, D.C. and NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Thank you.

[Franco Ordonez]

Thank you, Juana.

[Daniel Estrin]

You're welcome.

[Juana Summers]

Before we go, just one more reminder to take a couple of minutes to fill out the NPR News podcast listener survey. You can find it at npr.org springsurvey There's a short list of questions. It's anonymous and it would really help to hear from you even if you've done one of these in the past. NPR.org SpringSurvey that link is also in our episode notes. And thank you. This episode is produced by Briana Scott and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Rebecca Metzler, James Heider, Patrick Jaron Watananan, and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's consider this from npr. I'm Juana Summers.

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