- Israel’s intelligence chief lobbies US for Iran military action.
- Trump favors negotiations, Netanyahu demands Iran’s regime collapse.
- Visit follows reports of heated Trump-Netanyahu phone conversation.
Israel’s intelligence chief has travelled to Washington as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to persuade United States President Donald Trump to resume military action against Iran, Reuters reported, citing Axios.
Mossad chief Roman Gofman is holding talks with CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Washington. He is also expected to travel to Miami to meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Axios reported.
The visit comes a day after Netanyahu’s office dismissed reports of a heated phone conversation between the Israeli Prime Minister and Trump over Iran, describing them as “fake news” and “complete nonsense”.
Reports Of A Heated Netanyahu-Trump Phone Call
Israeli media outlet Ynet had earlier reported, citing sources, that a weekend phone call between Netanyahu and Trump, largely focused on Iran, was unusually difficult and involved a heated exchange. One source described the conversation as a “shouting match from hell”.
The reported disagreement came amid differences between Washington and Tehran over the possibility of renewed military action against Iran. A senior Israeli official reportedly confirmed to Ynet that the call had taken place but insisted that it was “very much not a difficult conversation.”
Trump Signals Caution, Netanyahu Maintains Tough Stance
Recent remarks by Trump and Netanyahu have highlighted differences in their positions on Iran.
Trump has spoken of “positive momentum” in negotiations and indicated that he was prepared to hold off on fresh strikes against Iran, reversing his earlier threats. His remarks followed a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
Netanyahu, however, struck a different note during his address to the Knesset on Tuesday. The Israeli Prime Minister maintained that the nuclear threat posed by Iran could not be permanently eliminated without the fall of the Iranian regime.
“Iran isn’t giving up on its plan to destroy Israel,” Netanyahu said at the inauguration of the new Knesset. He added, “The only way to permanently remove this existential threat is to overthrow the ayatollah’s rule.”
Political Setbacks And The Iran Standoff
Both leaders are also facing political challenges at home. Netanyahu’s Likud Party-led bloc is projected to win 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, falling short of the 61 seats required for a majority. Meanwhile, Trump’s Republican Party lost control of the US Congress in the November midterm elections.
The regional standoff has also been complicated by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran effectively blocked shipping through the strategic waterway, prompting the US to impose a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Although the two sides agreed to a ceasefire framework in June, it quickly unravelled over unresolved issues, including the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Netanyahu Pushes For Renewed Military Action
While Trump appears reluctant to resume full-scale strikes, his administration has maintained that economic pressure on Iran is sufficient to bring the Islamic Republic to the negotiating table.
Netanyahu, however, appears determined to pursue his stated objective of removing what he describes as the threat posed by Iran. Gofman’s meetings in Washington and expected talks in Miami come against this backdrop of differing approaches between the two allies over how to deal with Tehran.
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