As U.S. seeks Iran deal, Israel tests limits of alliance

JERUSALEM, June 24 — U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft remain parked at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, occupying space and resources and complicating the airport’s return to normal operations.

The sight is a reminder of close military cooperation between the United States and Israel. Yet it also reflects a growing reality: the two allies no longer appear to share the same vision for dealing with Iran.

As Washington seeks to shift from confrontation with Tehran to diplomacy, Israel has increasingly positioned itself as the principal regional skeptic and, at times, a potential spoiler.

DIFFERENT ENDGAMES

Lebanon has emerged as a key sticking point. While Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva has said any renewed attack against Lebanon would cross Tehran’s “red line” and urged Washington to use its leverage on Israel, Israel has vowed to maintain its military presence and freedom of action in southern Lebanon. The competing positions have turned Lebanon into an important front in the bargaining between Washington and Tehran.