Trump Warns Netanyahu Over Iran Strikes, Pushes Diplomacy to Avoid Regional War
Trump warns Netanyahu: US President Donald Trump warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel might become isolated if it resumed major military action against Iran.
His remarks to Axios came as tensions between Israel and Iran intensified. Bibi was warned by Trump that he should be careful, or he would soon be left on his own.
He explained that more fighting could hurt efforts to reach a diplomatic deal with Tehran and might pull the United States further into the conflict.
Trump Warns Netanyahu: Beirut Strikes Raise War Fears, Trump Calls for Talks
Trump Netanyahu Phone Call: The warning followed Israeli strikes on Hezbollah-linked targets in Beirut on Sunday, which led to an Iranian missile attack on Israel and raised fears of a wider war.
After months of negotiations with Iran, Trump reportedly told Netanyahu not to retaliate, saying diplomacy could still work.
Netanyahu Response to Trump Warning
US and Israeli officials told Axios that Trump was in a tough spot.
He understood why Israel wanted to respond to Iranian attacks, but worried that more strikes could start a full regional war.
Despite Trump's objections, Netanyahu told the White House that Israel would carry out limited strikes.
Iran-Israel Conflict Escalates as Tehran Launches Missiles After Israeli Strikes
Israel Attack on Iran: Israel then targeted sites in Iran, and Tehran responded by launching more missiles at Israel.
The US military did not join the attacks but helped Israel intercept Iranian missiles, according to US defense officials.
Trump Iran Diplomacy: Trump Says Iran Open to Ceasefire if Israel Stops Strikes
Trump Warns Netanyahu: As tensions grew, Trump urged Netanyahu to scrap a larger attack on Iran. Netanyahu agreed, as long as Iran did not carry out any more strikes.
Trump also said that several countries in the region had asked him to be cautious.
He added that Iranian officials, through intermediaries, signaled they would stop attacks if Israel did the same.
Iran Military Strikes: Israel Stopped Imminent Iranian Nuclear Threat, Netanyahu Claims
In a televised speech on Monday, Netanyahu said Israel had stopped what he called an imminent Iranian nuclear threat.
He also said that one year of military operations had made Iran and Hezbollah much weaker.
Trump Warns Netanyahu: Netanyahu said that a year ago, Israel had prevented Tehran from getting atomic weapons and repeated that Israel would never allow Iran to have a nuclear bomb.
He said Hezbollah had planned a major attack on northern Israel with thousands of fighters and many missiles.
Trump Iran Latest News: Netanyahu Declares Strategic Victory Over Hezbollah, Warns Conflict Continues
According to Netanyahu, Israel stopped the plan, killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and continued dismantling the group's military sites, including underground facilities in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu said Iran and Hezbollah are now weaker than ever, while Israel is stronger.
He said the conflict is not over and accused Iran and Hezbollah of trying to escalate it through attacks on Israel.
Israel responded by striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut after cross-border fire from Lebanon and by targeting military and economic sites in Iran after Iranian strikes on Israel.
Israel Holds Fire as Iran Attacks Stop, Netanyahu Draws Red Line
Trump Iran Latest Update: Netanyahu said Israel was holding its fire because Iranian attacks had stopped after Israeli operations.
He warned that any new aggression from Tehran would be met with an "overwhelming force" response.
Israel Foreign Policy: Netanyahu Doubles Down on Self-Defense, Signals Tough Line on Iran
Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense, saying he conveyed the same message to Trump.
He pledged that Israel would continue taking strong action to restore security, particularly along its northern border.
These events showed growing differences between Washington and Jerusalem about how to handle the conflict.
Trump has often said a diplomatic deal with Iran is possible, while Netanyahu insists that not responding strongly to Iran would show weakness and harm deterrence.
