In a contentious phone call on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly pressed US President Donald Trump to authorize immediate military strikes against Iran once the November 3 midterm elections conclude. The conversation, described by sources as both "tough" and "direct," highlighted a clear divergence in strategy between the two leaders regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Trump Balances Diplomacy and Military Readiness
While Netanyahu advocated for swift military action, President Trump indicated that negotiations with Iran were "going fine" and that he was "not in much of a hurry." He acknowledged Tehran's desire for a deal but expressed skepticism about its reliability, citing past agreements that Iran had reportedly abandoned. Despite this, Trump emphasized the US still needed to address one or two specific Iranian nuclear sites, notably mentioning a suspected facility built into a mountain, stating, "We can do that in 10 minutes. We have that planned. You can look at Pickaxe Mountain. We need to take care of that."
According to reports, Trump is pursuing parallel tracks: allowing diplomatic efforts to play out while also preparing for potential major combat operations after the midterms. The White House and Netanyahu’s office have declined to comment on the details of the call.
Ongoing Diplomatic Efforts
The diplomatic track has seen recent activity, with Vice President JD Vance sending a letter to Iran's national security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, last week. This marks the highest-level US outreach to Tehran in several months, exploring the possibility of restarting negotiations.
Concurrently, Qatari mediators engaged with Iranian officials in Doha for three consecutive days, seeking a deal to restart direct US-Iran talks and de-escalate the conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that while discussions on a two-day proposal were ongoing, no final agreement had been reached. He stressed that progress hinged on the US addressing Iran’s questions and reiterated Tehran's commitment to diplomacy alongside its readiness for defense. A key proposal involves reopening the Strait of Hormuz within two days of a potential agreement with Washington.
Uncertainty Post-Midterms and Iran's Warning
Trump has explicitly stated that the US will not launch new attacks before the midterms, but he has not ruled out military action thereafter. Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed that the President had not yet decided on resuming further strikes, indicating a preference for a diplomatic resolution.
In response to potential future aggression, Iran has issued a stern warning, vowing to retaliate against US and Israeli targets in neighboring countries should any new attacks occur. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly instructed the armed forces to prepare for such a contingency, underscoring the volatile regional tensions.