US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seem to have their own agenda to keep continuing the Iran war. A US official told Axios that while “Bibi needs the war to continue to stay politically alive in Israel, Trump needs the war to end to stay politically alive in the US.’
The last 24 hours have been marked by friction and anticipation as the US is trying to negotiate a deal with Iran, while Israel continues to bomb Lebanon, triggering retaliatory attacks by Iran. Follow US Iran war live updates
Trump on Sunday evening spoke with Netanyahu, urging him to halt the attacks and warning that if Israel does not stop, it could soon find itself “on its own very soon.”
“I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon,’” Trump told Axios.
Trump argued he would either secure a deal with Iran within a few days that would make any strikes unnecessary, or he would not—adding that in that scenario he might even lead strikes on Iran himself, the news outlet reported, citing an Israeli source.
At the same time, Israeli officials argued that failing to respond to Iran’s attack would harm Israel, the United States, and ongoing peace efforts. An Israeli official reportedly said that Netanyahu maintained that inaction would signal that Iran holds the advantage and could deter both the US and Israel from taking military action.
The US president now finds himself in a dilemma. On one hand, he understands Israel’s stance to continue attacks on Iran is aimed at avoiding appearing weak or conceding the upper hand to Tehran and defending itself. On the other hand, Trump now finds himself in a position where halting the conflict appears to be in his best interest amid mounting criticism within his country.
What led to the escalation?
The immediate trigger for Trump’s warning to Netanyahu was Iran’s strike on Israel, carried out in retaliation for Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Sunday. Israel then responded with further strikes.
According to two Israeli sources, Israel was preparing for the largest wave of strikes on Iran since April, with dozens of sensitive targets expected to be hit on Monday. Trump reportedly called Netanyahu and asked him to stop the strikes.
An Israeli source said the Israel Defense Forces had notified CENTCOM ahead of the strike in Beirut, but not the White House, according to Axios. The report added that Trump, who tried halting a wave of attacks from Israel, was “not happy” about it.
The call ended without a clear decision from Netanyahu. An Israeli official said that Netanyahu felt that while Trump was opposed to retaliatory strikes, “it was not a firm ‘don’t.’”
Another US official, according to the report, said: “There is no way Bibi could have interpreted what the president told him as an agreement. He was explicitly told the president didn’t support it, but he does what he does.”
Iran has made clear that a ceasefire in Lebanon is a key condition for any deal with the United States.
“I call the shots,” says Trump
Trump had expressed similar views a few days earlier when Iran struck northern Israel in support of Hezbollah following Israeli strikes in Beirut. He told the Financial Times that he spoke with Netanyahu and asked him not to retaliate, asserting his authority and saying that he was the one who “calls the shots.”
“I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one.”
“I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots,” Trump said when asked by the FT whether Netanyahu would support a possible agreement with Iran. “He won’t have any choice.”
Also Read: ‘No choice’: Trump says Netanyahu will have to accept Iran deal; Israel hits Tehran hours later
Trump added that the strikes would have no impact on the peace deal negotiations with Iran. “It’s not going to have any impact on the deal,” Trump said. “We’ll see how it ends up. But they were attacks that did not kick at all.”
Trump calls Netanyahu ‘crazy’
Earlier this week, Trump reportedly called Netanyahu “crazy” and accused him of being ungrateful. This took place during a heated phone call over Israel’s continuous bombardment of Lebanon.
“You’re f**king crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your a*s. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” a US official told Axios.
A second source quoted in the report said Trump also shouted at Netanyahu: “What the f**k are you doing?”
Following the call, Netanyahu released a statement saying he had told Donald Trump that Israel would attack targets in Beirut if Hezbollah did not stop attacking Israel, and that in the meantime, Israel would continue its operations in southern Lebanon.
“Our position remains the same,” Netanyahu wrote.
However, a second US official reportedly claimed that, in reality, Trump had “steamrolled” Netanyahu on the call. “Bibi said, ‘OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of,’” according to the official.
‘Deal very soon’, says Trump
Trump reiterated that Iran is interested in reaching an agreement and suggested a deal could be finalised in the near future, saying it would block Iran from developing nuclear weapons and halt uranium enrichment, according to Axios.
He described the emerging framework as a “phenomenal deal” in which the US would secure all its key demands.
