Israeli prime minister reportedly presses US president to resume strikes on Iran as Washington and Gulf allies favour diplomacy over another military campaign.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have clashed during a weekend telephone discussion over sharp disagreements regarding the resumption of military strikes against Iran, media reports revealed.
Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, citing sources familiar with the exchange, reported that the conversation focused on widening divisions between Washington and Tel Aviv concerning the renewal of war on Iran.
Sources characterised the call as exceptionally confrontational, with one insider describing it as "a screaming conversation from hell."
Netanyahu's office swiftly rejected the characterisation, dismissing allegations of a fallout as "fake news, complete nonsense."
A senior Israeli official confirmed that the dialogue took place but maintained it had not been hostile.
The disclosure follows a report by the Financial Times that Netanyahu has been contacting Trump daily to press for the resumption of military attacks against Tehran.
The newspaper noted that Arab and Muslim leaders are alarmed by Netanyahu's persistent lobbying, actively urging Trump to prioritise diplomatic solutions over military strikes.
"Positive momentum"
On Monday, Trump confirmed that Gulf allies—including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait—strongly oppose launching a new offensive against Tehran.
Citing "positive momentum" towards concluding the dispute, Trump stated that renewed US military action appears "quite unlikely."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed on Tuesday that Washington sees no immediate necessity to resume major combat operations, arguing that economic sanctions are fulfilling their purpose.
Rubio emphasised that the US will persist with its economic campaign against Tehran, whilst cautioning that American forces remain fully prepared to retaliate if Iran breaches Washington's established "red lines."
Concurrently, Qatari mediators confirmed on Tuesday that they have received constructive initial responses from both Washington and Tehran, though uncertainty persists regarding the ultimate prospects of a formal agreement.
The US and Israel originally launched a joint military offensive against Iran on February 28.
Despite subsequent diplomatic overtures and a framework memorandum signed between Washington and Tehran, protracted negotiations have failed to yield a comprehensive peace settlement.
TRT World & Agencies — TRT World & Agencies
Photo: Reuters
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