Netanyahu's Party Says He Will Run Again Amid the Iran War

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, intends to run for office again later this year, his Likud party said. The Russian outlet RT reported the announcement, noting that it comes despite skepticism voiced by President Trump about Netanyahu's political future.

The timing places the decision squarely inside the war with Iran. The New York Times reported that Trump has said Israel was not involved in the latest United States strikes on Iran, a public distancing that, read alongside his skepticism toward Netanyahu, points to friction between the two governments even as they pursue overlapping aims against Tehran.

The framing of the announcement should be weighed against its source. RT is a Russian state outlet with reasons to emphasize discord between Washington and an American ally. What is not in dispute is that an Israeli election campaign is now beginning during an active war, which ties the country's political direction to the conflict's course.