Drawing on interviews with Israeli officials, legal experts, and specialists in US-Israel relations, Colodro traces the competing strategies shaping the allies’ approach to Iran. Netanyahu proposed gradually phasing out US military aid over the next decade, while both governments publicly emphasized their shared objective even as they left unanswered whether Washington accepted Israel’s assessment of activity at Pickaxe Mountain. Since the meeting, the United States has launched a new wave of strikes against Revolutionary Guard targets in Iran as President Trump continues weighing military and diplomatic options. It also considers whether Israel has meaningful leverage over Washington as the United States decides its next move. Colodro’s full report explores whether Pickaxe Mountain represents a temporary disagreement between close allies—or the clearest sign yet that Washington and Jerusalem are pursuing different paths toward the same objective.