Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls US President Donald Trump every day, urging Washington to resume military action against Iran. This is reported by Financial Times, citing a person familiar with discussions between the US and Israeli sides.
“Netanyahu calls him every day to urge him to resume the war,” the source told the British publication. According to the source, officials inside and outside the White House are trying to prevent a new escalation, while regional leaders are urging Trump to prioritize negotiations.
Another source familiar with the situation in Israel told Financial Times that Netanyahu wants military action to resume, but denied that there is currently any organized pressure on the US president on the issue. The discrepancy shows that information about the conversations and internal discussions has not been officially confirmed.
Trump speaks of a diplomatic solution
Trump’s public position differs from the one described in the Financial Times report. After a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on November 9, the US president said that the war with Iran was “practically over” in military terms. “We are maintaining the current situation,” Trump said.
He added that he saw “positive progress” and a “good chance” that the conflict could be brought to an end. At the same time, Trump stressed that US forces remained on standby should the situation change.
In a post on his social media platform, the president said that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and other countries preferred to maintain the current situation. This means continuing economic pressure and the blockade, rather than immediately launching another major military operation.
Washington keeps both options open
According to Associated Press, Netanyahu called for a new wave of strikes against Iran during a conversation with Trump over the weekend, following the US midterm elections. US and regional officials confirmed to the agency that the pressure was linked to the possibility of resuming full-scale operations.
Despite his public retreat from threats of a new offensive, Trump has not ordered the withdrawal of the thousands of US troops deployed in waters near Iran. The naval blockade continues, while US forces have carried out limited strikes on Iranian targets over the past week.
Tehran is calling for an end to the blockade, the easing of sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets and a halt to military operations in the region, including Israeli operations in Lebanon. The Iranian side is linking these conditions to the possibility of resuming negotiations over its nuclear program.
Thus, after more than eight months of conflict, the situation remains between two possibilities: a diplomatic agreement, which Trump claims is making progress, or a new US-Israeli military operation, which Netanyahu continues to call for according to Financial Times.
Sources: ft.com, apnews.com