- Netanyahu denied heated call, but Iran strategy differs.
- Trump favors restraint, Netanyahu urges regime change for Iran.
- Conflict remains in stalemate; Netanyahu pushes renewed strikes.
- Both leaders currently face significant domestic political challenges.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has dismissed reports of a heated phone conversation between him and United States President Donald Trump over Iran, describing the claims as “fake news” and “complete nonsense”.
The denial follows a report by Israeli media outlet Ynet, which cited sources as saying that a weekend phone call between the two leaders, focused largely on Iran, had been unusually tense. One source reportedly described the exchange as a “shouting match from hell”.
A senior Israeli official reportedly confirmed to Ynet that the conversation had taken place but disputed the account of a heated exchange, saying it was “very much not a difficult conversation”.
The reported disagreement comes amid apparent differences between Washington and Tel Aviv over the possibility of renewed military action against Iran.
Trump Signals Restraint, Netanyahu Calls For Regime Change
Trump has recently spoken of “positive momentum” in negotiations with Iran and indicated that he was prepared to hold off on fresh strikes. This marked a shift from his earlier threats, following a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
Netanyahu, however, struck a different note during his remarks in the Knesset on Tuesday, arguing that the nuclear threat posed by Iran could not be permanently eliminated without the fall of its regime.
Trump, who launched strikes on Iran alongside Israel in February this year, has since signalled that he favours maintaining the “status quo” rather than resuming military action after the US midterm elections.
“We’re just keeping it at the status quo,” Trump said after meeting the Qatari Prime Minister. Qatar is among the countries mediating in the West Asia conflict.
However, according to a Financial Times report, Netanyahu has reportedly been calling Trump “every day” to push for renewed strikes on Tehran.
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Iran Conflict Remains In De Facto Stalemate
The conflict has remained in a state of de facto stalemate for months. The US-Israeli strikes in February were followed by retaliatory attacks by Iran on American bases and interests in Gulf countries.
Iran also effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the US to impose a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Although both sides agreed to a ceasefire framework in June, it quickly unravelled over unresolved issues, including the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
While the Trump administration has indicated that economic pressure on Iran could be sufficient to bring the Islamic Republic to the negotiating table, Netanyahu appears determined to pursue his earlier objectives.
“Iran isn’t giving up on its plan to destroy Israel,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday 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.”
Netanyahu And Trump Face Electoral Setbacks
The reported differences over Iran come as both leaders face 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.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
