Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump reportedly clashed during a telephone conversation over the weekend amid disagreements over the possibility of resuming military operations against Iran, according to media reports on Tuesday.
Yedioth Ahronoth, citing sources familiar with the conversation, reported that the discussion focused mainly on Iran and differences between Washington and Tel Aviv over a possible resumption of the war.
The sources described the exchange as particularly difficult and confrontational, with one characterising it as ‘a screaming conversation from hell’.
However, Netanyahu’s office rejected the account, dismissing it as ‘fake news, complete nonsense’ and denying that the conversation had been contentious.
A senior Israeli official also confirmed that the call had taken place but insisted that it had not been difficult.
Netanyahu reportedly urges Trump to resume strikes
The report came a day after the Financial Times reported that Netanyahu had been calling Trump ‘every day’ to urge him to resume military action against Iran, citing a person briefed on the discussions.
The British newspaper said Arab and Muslim leaders were alarmed by Netanyahu’s persistent lobbying, with regional leaders urging Trump to prioritise diplomacy rather than renewed military action.
On Monday, Trump said Gulf allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, opposed a new military campaign against Tehran.
Citing ‘positive momentum’ towards ending the conflict, Trump said renewed US strikes on Iran appeared ‘quite unlikely’.
US maintains economic pressure on Tehran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington saw no immediate need to resume major combat operations against Iran, arguing that economic pressure was achieving its objectives.
He said the US would continue its economic campaign against Tehran but warned that American forces remained ready to respond if Iran crossed Washington’s ‘red lines’.
Separately, Qatar said on Tuesday that it had received positive responses from Washington and Tehran regarding its mediation efforts, although uncertainty remained over the prospects of reaching an agreement.
The US and Israel launched a military offensive against Iran on Feb 28. Despite subsequent diplomatic efforts and a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran, negotiations have yet to produce a settlement.
