U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a tense phone call on Tuesday over efforts to reach a new deal with Iran, with disagreements emerging over whether diplomacy should continue or resume military action, U.S. media reported.Axios reported that Trump and Netanyahu, with support from other regional mediators, discussed a revised peace proposal drafted by Qatar and Pakistan aimed at bridging differences between Washington and Tehran.Axios quoted a source as saying that Netanyahu’s reaction after receiving the call was that his “hair was on fire.”Trump has continued to publicly express hope that a deal with Iran can still be reached, while warning that military strike remains an option if negotiations fail.“We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to do something a little bit nasty,” Trump said Wednesday.Later, he added that talks were “on the edge between an agreement and a new conflict.”
Netanyahu pushes for tougher military approach
Netanyahu reportedly remains deeply skeptical of the negotiations and wants Israel and the United States to resume military operations against Iran to further weaken Tehran’s military and strategic infrastructure.According to CNN, Netanyahu told Trump in an hour-long phone call that delaying the planned attack on Iran was a mistake and advocated continuing military action. The report said Israel’s leadership was increasingly frustrated with what it saw as Iran’s “dragging” of diplomacy.Trump earlier told Netanyahu that the United States may continue to conduct targeted attacks against Iran under a proposed operation called Operation Sledgehammer. However, within a day, Trump suspended the attack at the request of Gulf allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Trump told Netanyahu during a call on Tuesday that mediators were drafting a “letter of intent” that the United States and Iran could sign to formally end the war and begin a 30-day negotiating process covering Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
New mediation efforts are underway
According to Axios, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt have been actively refining the new draft proposal in recent days. Qatar reportedly sent a delegation to Tehran earlier this week for talks with Iranian officials.Iran confirmed it was reviewing the updated proposal. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baqaei said Tehran had “received the US perspective” and was studying it.Iran continues to demand the release of frozen assets and an end to what it calls U.S. “piracy” of Iranian shipping.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized diplomacy in a statement, saying: “Iran always fulfills its commitments and explores all avenues to avoid war; all roads remain open on our side.”
Trump warns diplomacy window may close
While negotiations are ongoing, Trump has repeatedly warned that the diplomatic window could soon close.“Believe me, it’s right on the border,” Trump said. “If we don’t get the right answers, things can move very quickly. We are all set and ready to go. “Trump also said Netanyahu would ultimately follow Washington’s lead on Iran. “Netanyahu will do whatever I want him to do,” he said.Meanwhile, Israel’s military leadership has been on high alert. Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the military was “prepared for any development.”The diplomatic efforts come after an April 8 ceasefire ended open fighting between Iran, the United States and Israel, although tensions remain high and the Strait of Hormuz continues to face major disruptions affecting global energy markets.
