President Donald Trump has made clear he intends to conclude the war with Iran once his primary military goals are achieved, viewing the potential overthrow of Tehran's government as an additional benefit rather than a necessary condition, according to U.S. officials.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken almost daily since the conflict began 19 days ago, with Trump telling Axios they're "working great together." However, U.S. officials recognize the two allies' endgames may eventually diverge.
Senior officials say Trump aims to end the war when his core military objectives are met: decimating Iran's missile program, destroying its nuclear program, crippling its navy, and cutting off funding for proxies. While the president would view regime change as a welcome bonus, it is not among his essential conditions for halting operations.
"Israel has other focuses and we know that," a White House official said. "Israel is going to try to kill their new leader. They're much more interested in that than we are."
The only clear friction point came when Israel bombed Iranian oil storage tanks. Stabilizing global oil markets is a bigger U.S. priority, and the White House asked Israel not to target oil again without a clear green light.
Trump admitted Israel's aims could be "a little bit different" than his. "You know, they're there and we're very far away," he told reporters Sunday.
Despite differences, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted: "Our objectives are our objectives. We'll set the tempo of when those are met."
