Trump, Netanyahu Reportedly Clash Over Resuming Iran War; Israeli PM’s Office Denies Report

WASHINGTON: Israeli media have reported sharp disagreements between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call last weekend over the future of the war against Iran.
According to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth and its website Ynet, Netanyahu repeatedly pressed for resuming the war, while Trump insisted on giving diplomacy a chance and allowing ongoing talks with Iran to make progress. Citing informed sources, the outlets said the call turned into a heated confrontation, described as a “hell-like shouting match.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office denied the report, calling it baseless. A senior Israeli official confirmed that the two leaders spoke over the weekend but stressed that there was no argument.
This is not the first such rift over the war. Similar tensions surfaced between the two leaders last June, and Trump previously told the New York Post that he had called Netanyahu “crazy” during a call. The latest reports came days after a Financial Times report said Netanyahu was phoning Trump daily to push him to resume full-scale war on Iran.
Netanyahu is insisting that US military strikes on Iran resume and that regime change in Tehran be pursued. The push comes as he faces pressure over his political future after losing seats in October’s general election. Addressing the Knesset on Tuesday, he said replacing the Iranian regime was the only way to end what he called a “rule of terror” and to stop Iran’s nuclear programme, which he said Tehran is reviving.
Trump has so far avoided a return to military confrontation, preferring to continue an economic pressure campaign to force Iranian concessions while diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran continue. In an interview aired Sunday on “60 Minutes,” Trump said he saw no reason to resume the war for now. The disagreement comes as Iran targets ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, with naval attacks during the conflict reportedly reaching unprecedented levels.