President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a tense conversation over Iran, reflecting sharp differences between the two leaders on the issue of Iran, on how to proceed with the conflict.
As Washington remained keen to reach a deal with the Iranians, Netanyahu favoured resuming the strikes to further degrade Iran’s military capabilities and weaken the regime by destroying its critical infrastructure. Axios, citing three sources, reported that Netanyahu’s “hair was on fire” after the call, underscoring his frustration with the US position.
The exchange followed another recent conversation between the two leaders on Sunday, during which Trump reportedly indicated he was leaning toward launching new targeted strikes on Iran early this week, CNN reported about the operation that was expected to be renamed “Operation Sledgehammer.”
However, less than a day later, Trump announced he was postponing the planned Tuesday strikes after requests from Gulf allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Since then, Gulf states and Pakistani mediators have been coordinating closely with the White House to create a framework for renewed diplomatic negotiations, according to US and regional sources.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, Trump signaled that negotiations with Iran were approaching a critical stage.
“We’re in the final stages with Iran. We’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “We’ll either reach a deal, or we’re going to do some things that are a little unpleasant. But hopefully it won’t come to that.”
Trump’s keenness for a diplomatic deal has reportedly frustrated Netanyahu, who has consistently favoured a tougher military stance toward Tehran. Israeli officials and Trump administration sources say Netanyahu believes any delay benefits Iran and weakens pressure on the regime.
The point is that this time the US is willing to clinch a deal based on the draft plan prepared by regional mediators involving Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt to bridge the differences between Washington and Tehran.
This comes as Trump continues to vacillate between ordering a massive strike on Iran and holding out for a diplomatic agreement.
Netanyahu remains highly skeptical about the negotiations and wants to resume the war to further degrade Iran’s military capabilities and weaken the regime by targeting its critical infrastructure. Aware of the domestic situation, Trump, meanwhile, continues to say he believes a deal can still be reached, though he has also warned that he is prepared to resume the war if negotiations fail.
“The only question is: do we go and finish it up, or are they going to sign a document? Let’s see what happens,” Trump said on Wednesday at the Coast Guard Academy. Later the same day, he said the US and Iran were “right on the borderline” between securing a deal and resuming the war.
Trump also wants Netanyahu to remain part of the diplomatic process and avoid resuming strikes, unlike the earlier instance when Israel resumed attacks on Lebanon after the first round of talks had taken place.
Trump said Netanyahu “will do whatever I want him to do” on Iran, though he also stressed that the two shared a good relationship. While the two leaders have had temporary disagreements over Iran in the past, they have remained closely coordinated throughout the war.
Iran has confirmed that it is reviewing an updated proposal, though it has not yet shown any significant signs of flexibility.
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt have been working over the past several days to refine the proposal and bridge the remaining gaps, according to the three sources.
According to two Arab officials and one Israeli source, Qatar recently presented both the US and Iran with a new draft. A fourth source, however, said there is no separate Qatari draft and that Doha is merely attempting to bridge the gaps from the previous Pakistani proposal.
One Arab official said the Qataris sent a delegation to Tehran earlier this week for talks with Iranian officials regarding the latest draft.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that negotiations were ongoing “based on Iran’s 14-point proposal” and confirmed that Pakistan’s interior minister was in Tehran to assist with mediation efforts. This marked the minister’s second visit in less than a week.
According to a US source briefed on the call, Trump informed Netanyahu that the mediators were working on a “letter of intent” that both the US and Iran would sign to formally end the war and begin a 30-day negotiation period on issues such as Iran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by Axios.
Two Israeli sources said the two leaders disagreed over the way forward, while the US source said, “Bibi’s hair was on fire after the call.”
