US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a tense phone conversation on Tuesday that exposed growing differences over how to handle the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to US media reports.
The discussion took place after Trump informed Netanyahu during a previous call on Sunday that Washington was preparing targeted military strikes against Iran early this week. The planned operation, reportedly named Operation Sledgehammer, was expected to intensify pressure on Tehran amid stalled negotiations.
However, Trump later decided to suspend the planned Tuesday strikes after key Gulf allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, urged the United States to allow more time for diplomacy.
Sources familiar with the matter said Gulf countries, along with White House officials and Pakistan, have recently intensified mediation efforts to create a framework for renewed talks between Washington and Tehran.
During the hour-long conversation, Netanyahu reportedly argued that postponing military action was a mistake and pressed Trump to proceed with the strikes as originally planned. According to American and Israeli officials, the call highlighted a clear divergence between the two allies regarding the future direction of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Trump continued to signal support for diplomacy while keeping military options available. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said developments with Iran were “right on the borderline” and warned that the situation could escalate quickly if negotiations failed.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed that Tehran and Washington continue exchanging messages through Pakistani mediation channels. Despite ongoing diplomatic contacts, significant disagreements reportedly remain over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and frozen assets.
The latest developments reflected increasing tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv as both governments pursue different strategies regarding Iran.
