Netanyahu reportedly wants Trump to resume strikes on Iran, while Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Turkey urge Washington to prioritize diplomacy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been urging US President Donald Trump to resume military operations against Iran, seeking a renewed American-Israeli offensive that could bring about the collapse of the Iranian regime, according to a Financial Times report on Monday.
According to the reports, the efforts by Netanyahu have raised concerns among Arab and Muslim leaders, several of whom have contacted Trump in recent days to discourage further military action.
“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 diplomat briefed on the discussions told the Financial Times. “The regional leaders are telling him not to escalate and prioritize negotiations.”
However, a person familiar with developments in Israel offered a different assessment, confirming that Netanyahu favored renewed military action against Tehran but saying there was no current “push” to persuade Trump to authorize additional strikes.
The White House declined to comment on the matter.
According to people familiar with the diplomatic contacts, at least four regional leaders have spoken with Trump in recent days as part of a coordinated effort to prevent a new escalation in the nearly nine-month conflict.
Those involved include Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The diplomatic campaign comes after Republicans suffered significant losses in last week’s US midterm elections, in which public opposition to the war with Iran and rising fuel prices were major issues.
Despite continuing to consider military options, Trump told CNN over the weekend that renewed American strikes were “highly unlikely,” although he indicated that the decision would depend on Tehran agreeing to a “strong agreement”.
Trump reiterated those comments in a conversation with reporters at the White House on Monday, expressing optimism that the confrontation with Iran was approaching its conclusion and suggesting that diplomatic contacts were progressing.
In his remarks, Trump emphasized that American forces remained prepared for further military action, although he believed renewed strikes would probably be unnecessary.
The statement came as diplomatic efforts to reach an interim agreement have remained stalled for several weeks, with mediators unable to resolve significant differences between Washington and Tehran.
Mediators have been urging Trump to allow additional time for negotiations while attempting to narrow the differences between the two sides.
The discussions center on a revised version of a seven-day proposal presented by Iran in September, which Trump initially rejected.
Under the proposed arrangement, Tehran would permit unrestricted commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, allowing Iranian oil exports and releasing access to some Iranian assets frozen abroad.
The temporary measures would be followed by renewed negotiations toward a comprehensive agreement.
However, disagreements remain over the order in which the proposed steps would be implemented and the future of Iran’s approximately 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.
Washington is also demanding that Iran permit International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to examine its principal nuclear facilities, which were bombed by the United States during the 12-day conflict last year. The uranium stockpile is believed to remain buried beneath the damaged facilities.
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