Part of the reason why US President Donald Trump dismissed National Security Adviser Michael Waltz was due to behind-the-scenes coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on possible military action against Iran, without the president’s full knowledge or approval, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.
According to the report, which cited multiple senior administration officials, tensions between Waltz and Trump had been mounting for weeks. Waltz allegedly worked closely with Netanyahu to prepare military options in advance of a February Oval Office meeting — a move he reportedly made without informing the president.
“Waltz wanted to take US policy in a direction Trump wasn’t comfortable with,” one official said. “It got back to Trump, and the president wasn’t happy.”
Trump, who has sought to avoid direct military confrontation with Iran and favors diplomacy over escalation, viewed Waltz’s actions as an attempt to force his hand, the report said. Some White House officials said that Waltz appeared more aligned with Netanyahu than with his own president.
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“You work for the president of your country, not a president of another country,” a Trump adviser was quoted as saying, comparing Waltz’s behavior to unauthorized diplomacy that would have prompted dismissal in previous administrations.
The controversy has reignited debate inside the administration over the future role of the National Security Council in a possible second Trump term. Some of the president’s aides reportedly believe the NSC’s traditional framework is outdated for a president who prefers to rely on loyalists and his own instincts, The Washington Post noted.
On Thursday, Trump named Secretary of State Marco Rubio as interim national security adviser. Despite his dismissal, Waltz will remain in public service. Trump announced on social media that he has nominated Waltz to serve as the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
Another incident reportedly accelerated Waltz’s removal: Waltz's accidental inclusion of a journalist in a Signal messaging group discussing military coordination in Yemen — a breach of protocol that raised eyebrows in the administration. However, officials said it only hastened what was already a growing consensus that he no longer aligned with Trump’s vision.
Vice President JD Vance attempted to rehabilitate Waltz’s standing, inviting him on a March trip to Greenland and introducing him to conservatives with more isolationist views. Those efforts failed to change his internal calculus, the Washington Post reported.
Waltz, a retired Green Beret known for his hawkish stance on Iran and Russia, was often viewed as ideologically out of step with Trump’s transactional, negotiation-focused foreign policy approach.
Rubio’s interim appointment signals a shift in Trump’s national security strategy, moving further away from institutional process and toward a centralized, loyalty-based model.
“With decisions like this, it’s him,” a senior White House official told The Washington Post, referring to Trump as the sole decision-maker.
Following the publication of the report, the Prime Minister's Office denied the claims of private talks between the two.
"Contrary to the Washington Post report, PM Netanyahu did not have intensive contact with Mike Waltz on Iran. PM Netanyahu had a warm meeting with Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff at Blair House in February prior to the Prime Minister's meeting with President Trump at the White House," the PMO said.
Contrary to the Washington Post report, PM Netanyahu did not have intensive contact with Mike Waltz on Iran. PM Netanyahu had a warm meeting with Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff at Blair House in February prior to the Prime Minister's meeting with President Trump at the White House.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 3, 2025
"Mike Waltz also joined VP JD Vance in a meeting with the PM before leaving Washington. Since then, the PM, the former National Security Advisor, and Steve Witkoff had one phone conversation that did not deal with Iran. We congratulate Mr. Waltz on his important appointment to the UN," it concluded.