Trump, Netanyahu disagree on whether to resume attacking Iran in heated phone call: CNN

Ongoing negotiations frustrate Netanyahu, who has long pushed for an aggressive approach in dealing with Tehran

US President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday in a conversation that reflected their different views on how to proceed with the Iran war, a US official told CNN.

Earlier when the two leaders spoke on Sunday, Trump shared that he was likely to move forward with new targeted attacks on Iran early in the week, the official said – an operation that was expected to get a new name: Operation Sledgehammer.

Roughly 24 hours after that initial conversation, however, Trump announced he was halting strikes that he said were planned for Tuesday at the request of allies in the Gulf, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Gulf nations have since been in close contact with US and Pakistani mediators in working on a framework that could further diplomatic talks, the US official and a person familiar with the situation said, according to CNN.

“We’re in the final stages of Iran. We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday morning about efforts to secure a deal. “We’ll either have a deal, or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty,” he went on. “But hopefully that won’t happen.”

The ongoing negotiations have frustrated the Israeli prime minister, who has long pushed for an aggressive approach in dealing with Tehran. Netanyahu has argued that a delay only benefits the Iranians, according to Trump officials and Israeli sources.

Netanyahu made his disappointment known on Tuesday, telling Trump that he believed delaying the expected attacks was a mistake, and that the president should continue as planned, the US official said.

During the hour-long conversation, Netanyahu pushed for a resumption of military action, an Israeli source familiar to the matter said. The divergence was clear: Trump wants to see if a deal can be reached, but Netanyahu was expecting something else, an Israeli official said, according CNN.

Iran ‘reviewing’ US proposal

Israeli concerns following Tuesday’s phone call have rippled through Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inner circle, a separate Israeli source told CNN. According to the source, senior officials are increasingly eager for renewed military action, frustrated by what they perceive as Iran’s slow diplomatic response under Trump’s watch.

Netanyahu’s unease with the US approach—and specifically Trump’s pattern of issuing threats only to pause them—is not new, sources familiar with their discussions said. US officials have previously acknowledged differing objectives between Washington and Jerusalem regarding the conflict.

When asked about his conversation with Netanyahu the night before, Trump said on Wednesday that he is in control. “He’ll do whatever I want him to do,” the president stated. Despite Netanyahu’s push for active combat, Trump has so far prioritised diplomacy, claiming on Wednesday that talks with Iran are “right on the borderline” and worth a few more days if it saves lives.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that communications with the US have continued via Pakistan, according to state-linked Nour News. “Based on Iran’s initial 14-point text, messages have been exchanged on several occasions, and we have received the American side’s viewpoints and are currently reviewing them,” spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

Pakistan has played a central role in attempting a diplomatic resolution, hosting high-level meetings in April between US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

However, it remains unclear whether significant gaps have narrowed. Iran has maintained its core demands, with disputes over its nuclear programme and frozen assets unresolved, a regional source said.

Trump has repeatedly warned that military action remains on the table. “If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We’re all ready to go,” he stated on Wednesday.