Trump Netanyahu Conversation: Netanyahu pushes Donald Trump for fresh Iran strikes after US midterms: Report

File photo: US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation on Saturday to discuss Washington’s negotiations with Iran and the possibility of resuming military operations, with Netanyahu pressing for fresh strikes after Tuesday’s US midterm elections, according to a report by Axios.The call came amid differences over the approach towards Tehran, with the Israeli prime minister urging immediate military action after the elections, while Trump wants to allow diplomatic efforts to continue for now, Axios reported, citing one Israeli and one US source.An Israeli source described the conversation as “tough”, while a US source called it “direct”.However, Trump told reporters in Iowa on Sunday that he had a “very good talk” with Netanyahu and confirmed that Iran was among the subjects discussed, without giving further details.The White House and the Israeli prime minister’s office declined to comment on the call.

Trump keeps diplomatic and military options open

Trump is pursuing parallel diplomatic and military approaches, seeking an agreement that could restart peace talks with Iran while keeping preparations underway for a possible return to major combat operations after the midterm elections.Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Trump said negotiations with Iran were “going fine” and that he was not “in much of a hurry”. He also said Tehran wanted a deal but questioned its reliability.“They make a deal and then they back out,” Trump said.At the same time, the US president indicated that Washington still needed to address one or two nuclear sites in Iran. Referring to the suspected underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain, he said, “We can do that in 10 minutes. We have that planned. You can look at Pickaxe Mountain. We need to take care of that. We can do that very quickly.”The US was keeping the possibility of renewed military action open even as it pursued negotiations.

Vance’s outreach and Qatar’s mediation

The diplomatic engagement has included a letter sent last week by US Vice President JD Vance to Iran’s national security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, concerning the possibility of restarting negotiations. It was the highest-level US outreach to Tehran in several months.Meanwhile, Qatari mediators met Iranian officials on Sunday for the third consecutive day in an effort to reach an agreement that would allow direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran to resume.Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said no agreement had been reached so far and that progress depended on the US responding to questions raised by Tehran.“We are making every effort in this regard and hope that the other side will demonstrate enough rationality to choose diplomacy over other paths,” Araghchi said.In an interview shared on his Telegram channel, Araghchi said consultations with mediators were continuing and that the final outcome depended on the answers provided by Washington to Iran’s questions.He said Iran remained prepared for both defence and diplomacy, depending on the US response. Araghchi had also said on Saturday that Iranian negotiators were in Qatar discussing a proposal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if Washington met several conditions.He stressed that no direct talks were taking place between Iran and the US, AP reported.The latest diplomatic efforts come as the two sides explore the possibility of restarting negotiations while the prospect of renewed military operations remains under discussion.