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Netanyahu's 'hair was on fire': Inside Israel PM's 'difficult' call with Trump on Iran
According to an Axios report, Trump told the Israeli PM over the call that a "letter of intent" was in the works and would be signed by both the US and Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump reportedly engaged in a "difficult" call recently as they discussed next steps in the ongoing situation with Iran. It has been weeks since the US and Iran agreed on a ceasefire upon Pakistan's mediation but no agreement has been finalised yet, with no clear timeline in sight. Amid the ongoing impasse, Trump and Netanyahu held a lengthy phone conversation on securing a deal but were reportedly in disagreement over how to proceed.
According to an Axios report, Trump told the Israeli PM over the call that a "letter of intent" was in the works and would be signed by both the US and Iran, followed by a 30-day period to work out specifics - like the future of Tehran's nuclear ambitions and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the report further quoted sources as saying that the Tuesday call was "difficult" and left Netanyahu worried. Follow live updates on Iran-US war here.
A US source familiar with the contents of the telephonic exchange said "Bibi's hair was on fire after the call", while also saying that the two leaders were in disagreement on aspects of the next steps. The report also said that a revised peace memo was drafted by Qatar and Pakistan with input from the other regional mediators to try to bridge the gaps between the US and Iran.
Why is Netanyahu 'worried'?
The Israeli PM is reportedly concerned and worried as the ongoing ceasefire lays in limbo, with the US and Iran continuously exchanging threats. The concern, however, may lie not in the prospect of escalation, but in the possibility of its delay. The Axios report said that Netanyahu is persistent on resuming the war soon to further cripple Iran's military infrastructure, but Trump wants to wait and see.
Urging Iran to show intent on finalizing an agreement, Trump recently said: "It's right on the borderline, believe me. If we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go. We have to get the right answers -- it would have to be a complete 100% good answers." Earlier this week, Trump said he was holding off attacks planned against Iran following a request from Arab nations including Qatar and the UAE.
However, Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff, kept fears of escalation up as he presented Iran with two choices - to either agree on what the US wants or "face a punishment from our military the likes of which has not been seen in modern history".
'Netanyahu will do what I want'
Despite reports hinting at differences between the US and Israel on Iran, Trump said on Wednesday that Netanyahu would be in agreement with whatever he wanted. “He'll do whatever I want him to do. He's a very good man. He'll do whatever I want him to do,” he told reporters when asked about the message he conveyed to the Israeli PM on a possible military strike on Iran.
Trump also reflected on the ongoing political developments in Israel that could pave the way for early elections. Defending Netanyahu, Trump said that the Israeli PM was not treated well in his country.
This is not the first time reports of differences between Israel and the US on Iran have emerged. A Wall Street Journal report said last month that Israel was unhappy with the ceasefire and the country's limited role in reaching it. It had even kept up strikes in Lebanon in the initial two-week truce period. The WSJ report had also said that Israel was not formally a part of the negotiations between US and Iran.
