The reported one-hour-long phone call between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly concluded with the latter expressing sharp dissent to the former’s decision to halt a preplanned resumption of attacks on Iran at the final stage, as Netanyahu was said to have burst out in frustration while demanding the continuation of military operations, whereas Trump insisted on allowing diplomacy another opportunity.
The strained exchange, reported by CNN and Axios, exposed widening fissures between the US and Israel over the trajectory of the conflict with Iran, even as both administrations publicly attempted to project strategic cohesion.
According to sources familiar with the conversation, Netanyahu castigated Trump’s unilateral decision to suspend the proposed strikes slated for Tuesday, a concession reportedly granted at the behest of Gulf allies, which prompted an American interlocutor to remark that the Israeli Prime Minister's hair was on fire after the call.
Trump froze the operation following intervention from Gulf allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The reversal reportedly infuriated Netanyahu, whose government has consistently advocated an uncompromising military offensive against Iran since hostilities escalated on February 28.
A US source briefed on the call remarked that “Bibi’s hair was on fire after the call”, while another source observed that the Israeli premier had remained persistently anxious throughout negotiations involving Iram.
The American President disclosed that international mediators, orchestrated by Qatar and Pakistan, are currently formulating a "letter of intent" designed to inaugurate a thirty-day window of intense negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the emancipation of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, confirmed that indirect exchanges with the US were continuing through Pakistan, although Iran demanded an end to American “piracy” against Iranian vessels and the release of frozen Iranian funds before meaningful progress could be achieved.