Trump and Netanyahu diverge on Iran war’s future in tense phone call
President Donald Trump had a tense meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that reflected their differing views on how the Iran war will proceed, a US official told CNN.
This wasn’t their first conversation in recent days. The official said the two leaders shared in their conversation on Sunday that Trump shared earlier in the week that he was likely to resume new targeted attacks on Iran; This is, as CNN points out, an operation. previously reportedIt was expected to have a new name: Operation Sledgehammer.
However, approximately 24 hours after this first meeting, Trump said: stop strikes Qatar said it was planned for Tuesday at the request of Gulf allies including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Since then, Gulf states have been in close contact with the White House and Pakistani mediators to work on a framework that could advance diplomatic talks, a U.S. official and a person familiar with the situation said.
“We’re in the final stages on Iran. We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters Wednesday morning about efforts to reach a deal.
“We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to do some bad things,” he continued. “But I hope that doesn’t happen.”
The ongoing negotiations have frustrated the Israeli prime minister, who has long advocated a more aggressive approach to Tehran. According to Trump officials and Israeli sources, Netanyahu argued that the delay only benefited the Iranians.
The US official said Netanyahu expressed disappointment on Tuesday, telling Trump that he believed it was a mistake to delay the expected attacks and that the president should proceed as planned. A familiar Israeli source said that during the hour-long meeting, Netanyahu pressed for the resumption of military action. The difference was clear: Trump wanted to see if a deal could be reached, but Netanyahu expected something else, an Israeli official said.
CNN reached out to the White House.
First the axiom reported tense phone call.
Another Israeli source told CNN that Israel’s concern extends to officials around Netanyahu after the phone call on Tuesday. This source said there is a strong desire at the top levels of the Israeli government to renew military action and growing frustration that Trump continues to allow what they say is diplomatic foot-dragging by Iran.
But sources familiar with his conversations said Netanyahu’s frustration with the US approach – especially Trump’s threats to eventually stall – is not entirely new. In the past, US officials have acknowledged that the goals between the US and Israel are different when it comes to war.
When asked what he told the prime minister the night before, Trump said he was in the driver’s seat on Wednesday.
“He will do whatever I ask him to do,” the US president said.
Despite pressure from Netanyahu to return to active combat, Trump has continued to press for a diplomatic deal for now, claiming on Wednesday that things are “borderline” with Iran and that it is worth giving diplomacy a few more days if it will save lives.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday that Tehran and Washington continue to exchange messages through Pakistan.
But it’s unclear how much of the fundamental differences between the two sides have been narrowed. A regional source said Iran has not backed down from its core demands, and issues regarding its nuclear program and frozen assets remained unresolved earlier this week.
And Trump has repeatedly stated that military intervention remains an option.
“If we don’t get the right answers, it will happen too quickly. We’re all ready to go,” he said Wednesday.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
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