Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been calling US President Donald Trump daily to push for a resumption of military action against Iran, even as White House officials and regional leaders urge Trump to avoid escalation and prioritise negotiations, Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.
An Israeli source said Netanyahu favoured restarting the war but was not actively pushing Trump to do so. "Netanyahu calls him every day (to urge him to resume the war). Those who don't want a war within the White House and outside have been trying to combat that," a person briefed on the discussions was quoted as saying by FT.
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Trump on Tuesday said that Washington is unlikely to resume military action against Iran for now, citing positive momentum towards ending the conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had an “excellent conversation” with Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during which the situation involving Iran was discussed. He added that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional countries preferred maintaining the current status quo, including the US naval blockade and Operation Iron Gate.
{{/usCountry}}In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had an “excellent conversation” with Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during which the situation involving Iran was discussed. He added that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional countries preferred maintaining the current status quo, including the US naval blockade and Operation Iron Gate.
{{/usCountry}}Trump reiterated that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons, calling it “non-negotiable”, while warning that the US was “locked and loaded” should developments in the Middle East change. He, however, said such a scenario appeared “quite unlikely” at present.
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“We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict, and will ensure that America’s interests are at all times protected. At the conclusion of this Military Engagement, the American People, and the World, will be far safer and more secure,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
According to the Financial Times, leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey and Qatar have spoken with Trump in recent days, urging him to give diplomacy more time to resolve the nearly nine-month-long war. They are concerned that Trump could order fresh strikes on Iran following the Republican Party's poor performance in last Tuesday's elections.
The report further said Arab and Muslim leaders broadly agreed that any renewed military escalation could plunge the region into a deeper crisis, amid fears that Iran would retaliate fiercely and target their countries.
Iran, meanwhile, has said it is prepared to respond to any fresh attacks, warning that it could target undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz and data centres across the region, while expanding the conflict beyond the Middle East.