Axios: Ceasefire could go up in flames …. 2. How Bibi lost the GOP

Posted on June 28, 2026 by michelleclarke2015
Ceasefire could go up in flames
 
President Trump leaves the White House yesterday, heading to his golf club in Sterling, Va. Photo: Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

This is more fire than cease:

Over the past few days, tension between the U.S. and Iran has been escalating with another exchange of strikes on Saturday. President Trump threatened on Truth Social to resume the war and “complete the job,” Axios’ Barak Ravid writes.

Why it matters: The U.S. and Iran are bombing each other again, putting the tenuous ceasefire in doubt again.

Between the lines: One reason for the renewed fighting seems to be different interpretations of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war that was signed 10 days ago — especially when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.

With the situation escalating by the day, it isn’t clear if the next round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iranian technical teams planned for Tuesday in Switzerland will actually take place.

🚢 Catch up quick: As part of the MOU, Iran committed to make its best efforts to allow safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait. In return, the U.S. lifted its blockade on Iranian ports.

During negotiations in Switzerland last week, the U.S. delegation — headed by Vice President Vance — agreed with Iran to establish a “hotline” between the U.S. military and the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), Iran’s military command, to coordinate traffic in the strait.

As of yesterday, the “hotline” still wasn’t operational, even as Iran started claiming, again, that ships need to coordinate passage.

Last evening, the U.S. military struck Iranian targets in retaliation for an attack Saturday morning on a commercial tanker.

It was the second wave of U.S. strikes in Iran in 24 hours.Screenshot: 

Truth Social

The latest: Iran responded to the U.S. strikes with drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, according to the IRGC.Iranian state media quoted the IRGC as threatening more forceful attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, raising the prospect of the peace process coming to a halt.

🛢️ Earlier Saturday, the IRGC launched an attack drone at the Panama-flagged M/T Kiku tanker, which was passing through the strait with more than two million barrels of crude oil, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The incident happened several hours after the U.S. struck Iranian targets, in retaliation for another attack on a commercial ship on Thursday.Share this story.
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2. 🇮🇱 How Bibi lost the GOP
 
Photo illustration of Vice President JD Vance, President Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian children, and missiles
Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos via Getty Images
 
Benjamin Netanyahu lost the Democrats. Now a growing number of Republicans are souring on the Israeli prime minister and his country, too.

More Republicans, especially younger ones, turned on Israel as its military leveled Gaza — and then Netanyahu alienated President Trump and his team as they sought to end the Iran war, Axios’ Mike Zapler writes.

Why it matters: For 15 years, Netanyahu offset collapsing Democratic support by cultivating Republicans. If Republican support is no longer guaranteed, he has a serious problem — and so does Israel.

🏛️ The big picture: That problem starts at the top of the Republican Party.

Last September, as President Trump was pressing Netanyahu to accept a Gaza peace deal, he told the Israeli prime minister that “all the Jews are sick of you” and there would be a “divorce” between the two countries if he refused to go along, according to Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s new book, “Regime Change.”

Axios reported that Trump called Netanyahu “fucking crazy” and warned his actions risked isolating Israel further. Trump later told Axios in an interview that his relationship with Netanyahu is good, “but we have to keep him a little bit sane.”

🎙️ The strains over the war came as high-profile “America First” anti-interventionists — led by Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Marjorie Taylor Greene — stoked the backlash against Israel.

Carlson, who left the Republican Party last week, said Netanyahu manipulated Trump into joining the war. He called the president a “slave” to the Israeli prime minister.

Ben Shapiro, the Daily Wire co-founder and staunch Israel defender, has seen his ratings fall as right-wing listeners opposed to U.S. support for Israel turn elsewhere.

By the numbers: Four in 10 Republicans have an unfavorable view of Israel, according to an April Pew Research Center poll. 57% of Republicans ages 18-49 felt that way. One in four aged 50+ had a negative view.

💡 Reality check: The GOP still broadly backs Israel.

A February Gallup poll showed 70% of Republicans sympathize more with Israelis than Palestinians — down 10 points from 2024.

Share this story … Zachary Basu contributed reporting.

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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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