US goals shift: 'At the beginning of the Iran war, the US and Israel were on the same page'

The US and Israel initially coordinated strategy in their approach to Iran, but their alignment has begun to fracture, according to analysis by Dr. H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute in London. While the two allies have not fundamentally shifted their core objectives toward Iran, they now diverge on messaging, political intent, and the coherence of their joint approach. The divergence reflects deeper tensions over how to prosecute the broader conflict, particularly as Israel expands its military operations in Lebanon. This misalignment complicates the ability of Washington and Tel Aviv to present a unified front and could undermine the effectiveness of their coordinated strategy in the region.