Trump Seeks Swift Exit From Iran War, Bucking Israel's Regime Change Demands

President Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu have divergent priorities as the U.S. president looks to sell Americans on his endgame.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 10:53am

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President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started the war against Iran together, but the two countries have divergent priorities as the U.S. president seeks to sell Americans on his endgame. While Trump has argued the killing of some senior Iranian leaders qualifies as regime change, the resulting shake-up does not represent the systemic overhaul that Israel has long sought to eliminate the threat from the Islamic Republic.

Why it matters

Israel is more emphatic about creating a 'shockwave' that brings about complete regime change in Iran, while Trump is now signaling he wants a swift exit from the conflict. This difference in priorities could create tensions between the U.S. and its key Middle East ally.

The details

Netanyahu reportedly sold Trump on the idea, pushed by Israeli intelligence, that a war with Iran could mobilize an uprising against its hard-line Islamic government. However, Trump has backed off that vision in recent weeks, facing growing domestic and international pressure. The U.S. has also reportedly told Israel to hold back assassination attempts on key Iranian interlocutors to give negotiations a chance.

  • In a video announcing the first wave of attacks on Iran, Trump outlined his vision of a popular uprising against the Iranian government.
  • In the weeks since, Trump has notably backed off the idea of a popular uprising in Iran.

The players

President Trump

The U.S. president who started the war against Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, but is now seeking a swift exit from the conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu reportedly sold Trump on the idea that a war with Iran could mobilize an uprising against its government, but Israel is more emphatic about creating regime change.

Michael Herzog

Israel's former ambassador to the U.S. and a distinguished fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Abbas Araghchi

Iran's Foreign Minister who acknowledged contact with the U.S. but downplayed talks to end the war.

Marco Rubio

U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser who said the U.S. and Israel face different threats from Iran.

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What they’re saying

“We do not have any faith that negotiations with the U.S. will yield any results.”

— Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister

“What they are focused on is different. Those things are threats to them. Those mid-range missiles that Iran launches that reach into Israel, those are threats that they're facing. They're also facing a threat from Hezbollah [in Lebanon], which they're confronting as well.”

— Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser

What’s next

If Trump calls on Israel to halt attacks, Netanyahu will likely go along, according to Michael Herzog. However, it's unclear where Trump stands on Israel's expanding military operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah.

The takeaway

The divergent priorities between the U.S. and Israel on the endgame in Iran could create tensions between the two allies, as Trump seeks a swift exit from the conflict while Israel remains focused on achieving complete regime change.