Netanyahu Calls Trump Daily Over Iran Strikes as Trump Weighs Ending War: Report

Benjamin Netanyahu has been calling Donald Trump every day to press for fresh strikes on Tehran even as the US president weighs ending the war with Iran, a person briefed on the discussions.

The reported push comes as the Iran war has emerged as one of the key reasons Trump’s Republican Party lost its stronghold in the US Congress. Trump later told reporters, according to AP, that fresh strikes on Iran would be “unlikely”.

The competing signals matter because, according to the Financial Times, Washington is still carrying out occasional attacks while Arab leaders press for talks. The issue has also sharpened political pressure on Netanyahu, whose position at home has weakened after Israel’s elections ended in a stalemate.

Pressure From Netanyahu

Netanyahu’s lobbying has been direct. “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 told AP.

That push gathered force after the Iran war became a key reason for the Republicans losing their stronghold in Congress. Netanyahu is also under pressure at home after elections in Israel ended in a stalemate following the Likud leader's failure to secure a majority.

Trump and Netanyahu also spoke last week about their next steps on Iran. US officials described that call to Axios as “frank”, and White House officials told Axios that Netanyahu urged Trump to strike Iran immediately after the midterm election result came in. Still, Trump chose to let negotiations play out.

Strikes And Diplomacy

The strikes have not fully stopped. The US continues to launch occasional attacks against Iran, and Qeshm Island was struck by US missiles on November 6 and November 3. Trump did not explicitly refer to the November 6 strikes on Qeshm Island, but he did confirm that Washington carried out a fresh attack.

Trump confirmed a fresh US attack while speaking to reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida. “We do minor strikes, but they knock out. They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device, and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five,” Trump told reporters, according to AP.

He later signalled restraint at a White House briefing on Monday. “Iran militarily is effectively over,” Trump told reporters, according to AP, at a White House briefing Monday. “We’re just keeping it the status quo.” He also said any fresh strikes against Iran would be “unlikely”.

Trump’s remarks came after a closed-door meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed on the current draft proposal to end the war. Under that proposal, Iran would allow free movement of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts its blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran has also called for the release of its frozen assets held overseas and for negotiations to restart on a final deal that would address the nuclear question. The Financial Times reported that Qatar’s leader was among the Arab heads of state urging Trump to stay on the path of talks and avoid new strikes.

That diplomatic push extends beyond Doha. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have also urged Trump to pursue diplomacy.