US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was dismissed from his role due to conversations he had with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding a possible strike on Iran, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a senior official in Donald Trump's administration and a close advisor to the former president.
According to administration sources, Waltz angered Trump following Netanyahu's early February visit to the White House, when the national security advisor appeared to align with Netanyahu's stance that the time had come to strike Iran. Two officials familiar with the matter said there had already been significant coordination between Waltz and Netanyahu on potential military options against Iran prior to their February meeting.
According to the report, there is a prevailing belief within the administration that Waltz tried to tilt US policy toward military action, working in concert with Israeli officials to do so.
The Prime Minister's Office issued a denial: "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."
Photo: AP
Vice President J.D. Vance joined Waltz's meeting with Netanyahu before leaving Washington. Since then, Netanyahu, the former national security advisor, and Witkoff have had a single phone call, which did not concern Iran. "We congratulate Mr. Waltz on his important appointment to the UN," the Prime Minister's Office added.
A Trump advisor commented: "If Jim Baker [US secretary of state from 1989 to 1992] had made a side deal with the Saudis to undermine George H.W. Bush, he would have been fired." He added: "You can't do that. You work for your country's president, not the president of another nation."
Still, according to the report, Waltz's fate was effectively sealed in March with the exposure of the "secret chat" affair. That incident involved the inclusion of The Atlantic magazine editor Jeffrey Goldberg in a private messaging group used to brief top US officials on the progress of operations against the Houthis. Initially, reports suggested Trump was considering firing Waltz, whose staff had added the journalist to the group. Trump, however, publicly backed Waltz at the time, saying he had "learned his lesson."
Several top administration officials tried to save Waltz's position, according to the Post. One of them was Vice President Vance, who, despite ideological differences, took Waltz on a trip to Greenland and introduced him to other conservative figures within the vice president's political camp.
Waltz's issues accumulated over time. Trump's dominant chief of staff, Susie Wiles, reportedly felt he was not a good fit for the president. This view was shared by a senior White House official, a Trump advisor, and another source familiar with the situation who all spoke to the Post.
Instead of continuing as national security advisor, Waltz was appointed US ambassador to the UN. Announcing the reshuffle, Trump wrote on social media Thursday: "Together, we will continue fighting tirelessly to make America and the world safe again."
Before being tapped for the position, Waltz had served as a congressman from Florida. His views on the use of American force abroad are considered hawkish, a significant detail amid the internal administration struggle between the MAGA movement's isolationist wing and its more interventionist members.
Officials who spoke to the newspaper described Waltz's new role as a demotion from the prestigious position of national security advisor and chair of the National Security Council. They also noted there is skepticism within the administration about whether Trump even needs the council in its traditional form. This sentiment was reflected in the temporary appointment of Sen. Marco Rubio as acting national security advisor, while he also continues serving as secretary of state.
A senior White House official said the final decision to reassign Waltz was made Thursday.
In its report on the decision, ABC News stated the move was framed not as a reaction to public or media pressure, but rather as part of a broader restructuring of the National Security Council, with Trump feeling that "enough time" had passed since the secret chat controversy. One senior official expressed doubt that foreign policy disagreements were the true reason for Waltz's dismissal and reassignment to the UN.
"I've known Mike for a while, and at the end of the day, he carries out what the president wants, especially on foreign policy," the official said. "He doesn't act independently."
