Netanyahu Holds Off Retaliation After Trump Call
President Trump moved quickly after Iran launched missiles at northern Israel, urging both sides to cool things down and keep negotiations alive. According to reporting from Axios and Fox News, Trump said the fighting should stop before it wrecked a deal that he said was close.
Axios reported that Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him not to retaliate against Iran while talks between the U.S. and Iran are still in progress. One U.S. official said Trump made clear he thought the moment was too important to waste. The same official said Netanyahu pushed back at first, then eventually “pseudo-agreed” to the president’s demand.
Trump’s message was blunt. “Israel had its strike and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one,” he said. He also said, “I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one.”
He added, “The Iranian strikes didn’t hurt anybody. Hopefully Israel is not going to retaliate. If Bibi strikes them back it’s just gonna keep going like the last 47 years, or the last 3000 years,” Trump added. “We are very close to a final deal with Iran. It is going to be a good deal. I don’t want it to blow up because of what is happening now.”
Fox News reporter Trey Yingst said Trump also told him, “What I would suggest to Iran: You’ve shot your missiles, that’s enough. Get back to the table and make a deal.” Yingst later reported that Trump expects an agreement could be signed early this week.
Trump also addressed Israeli strikes in Beirut, saying he was not happy with them and that they were not coordinated with the United States. He said, “It’s certainly not going to help negotiations,” referring to the impact on the talks.
The conflict escalated after Israel launched an attack on two apartment buildings in Beirut, Lebanon, following the interception of Hezbollah missiles in northern Israel. The IDF released video of the strikes and said the target was a “headquarters where terrorists from the Hezbollah terror organization were operating in Dahiyeh.”
After that, Iranian officials threatened the U.S. and Israel, and Iran later fired ballistic missiles toward northern Israel. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the missiles were meant as a “warning” if Israeli offensives continue.
For now, the focus is on whether the talks can survive the latest round of attacks and threats. Trump is clearly trying to keep the situation from spiraling any further. The next few days will show whether that effort buys real time or just another short pause.
https://x.com/BarakRavid/status/2063717156681044370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://x.com/TreyYingst/status/2063709736327864356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://x.com/idfonline/status/2063666355706929482