Trump told Netanyahu he still wants to defuse Iran crisis with talks, not bombs
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Trump and Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their Monday phone call that he believes there's a chance of reaching a nuclear deal with Iran and he therefore opposes military action at this time, an Israeli official and a U.S. official tell Axios.
Why it matters: The call between Trump and Netanyahu took place several days before the expiration of the two-month deadline Trump gave Iran for reaching a deal.
- Iranian officials have been finalizing their response to the U.S. nuclear deal proposal, and are expected to deliver a formal rejection this week.
- A sixth round of nuclear talks between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to take place in Oman on Sunday.
Behind the scenes: During their 40-minute phone call on Monday, Netanyahu told Trump that the Iranians are experts at stalling and therefore must be presented with a credible military threat, the sources said.
- "Trump did not sound convinced by this reasoning," the Israeli official said.
- Trump told Netanyahu the Iranians are "stubborn," and he's frustrated with their behavior, but he thinks they can be convinced to make a deal and wants to see what happens in the next round of talks, the officials said.
- Several Israeli media outlets also reported on aspects of the conversation.
State of play: Testifying Tuesday before the House Armed Services Committee, outgoing CENTCOM commander Gen. Erik Kurilla said an Israeli strike on Iran would expose U.S. forces in the Middle East to the threat of Iranian retaliation.
- However, he said he'd provided Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth "with a wide range of options" for military action if talks fail.
- On Sunday, Trump and virtually his entire top foreign policy team huddled in Camp David for hours to discuss U.S. strategy on the Iran nuclear crisis and the war in Gaza.
- A senior U.S. official told Axios the president sees both crisis as intertwined and part of a broader regional reality he is trying to shape.
