U.S
By Bernard Moerdler,
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly clashed over whether to resume military strikes against Iran during a phone call over the weekend, as Washington increasingly favors economic pressure and negotiations over renewed large-scale combat operations.
Sources familiar with the conversation described an unusually heated exchange, with one calling it a "shouting match from hell." Netanyahu reportedly pressed Trump to resume military action, while the American president favored giving diplomacy more time. The Prime Minister's Office rejected the account as "fake news, complete nonsense." A senior Israeli official confirmed the call took place but denied that it was confrontational.
The disagreement comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio told G7 foreign ministers in Paris on Tuesday that the Trump administration had chosen a third approach between restarting the war and accepting an unfavorable agreement with Tehran, according to Axios. That strategy involves maintaining economic pressure, including the existing U.S. naval blockade and the newly established Task Force Iron Gate, which U.S. Central Command says will coordinate efforts to disrupt Iranian weapons procurement and sanctioned trade through land routes and the Caspian Sea.
Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance is considering direct talks with Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei as part of efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict. Discussions remain preliminary, and no meeting date has been set.
Rezaei, meanwhile, warned Wednesday that renewed American strikes could prompt Iranian attacks against U.S. military bases beyond the Middle East, including facilities in Europe. Tehran has maintained that any agreement must address American economic restrictions, while Washington continues to insist that military options remain available.
Topics: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Israeli Politics
Reported by Bernard Moerdler for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.