Trump and Netanyahu (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had an explosive phone call as the two leaders clashed over Iran on Wednesday, a report claims. Two Israeli sources said to be familiar with the content of the call told Israel’s Channel 12 that the US President and Israel’s leader disagreed on the way forward over their war with Iran.
Mr Trump reportedly told his Israeli counterpart in the call on Tuesday (May 19) that mediators were working on a “letter of intent” which both Washington and Tehran would sign. Channel 12, citing a US source, reported that this could result in an end to the conflict and the opening of 30 days of negotiations on issues including re-opening the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program. Mr Netanyahu was reportedly sceptical and urged the US to continue to exert military pressure on Iran to weaken the regime.
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Just before boarding Air Force One in Maryland on Wednesday, Mr Trump told reporters Mr Netanyahu would do whatever he wanted him to do over Iran.
His boast comes as the US President appears to have hit a wall with Iran as his tough talk, threats and military action so far appear to have failed to move Tehran from its long-established positions.
Mr Trump and his top aides have insisted the United States has already won the war and that Iran is ready to reach an agreement to end the war, which erupted when the US and Israel struck the Islamic Republic on February 28.
On Monday, Mr Trump said he had put plans for imminent attacks on hold at the request of Gulf Arab states because “serious” negotiations were taking place, and “a Deal will be made”.
Although the president said he had called off strikes planned for Tuesday, he kept up the bravado, saying he had told military leaders to be prepared to go forward with “a full, large scale assault” against Iran.
Iran has so far shown little sign of backing down (Image: Getty)
Despite growing internal unrest, a crippled economy and the deaths of many of its leaders, there has so far been no evidence Iran would meet Washington’s demands.
Since a fragile truce in the war went into effect last month, Mr Trump has lashed out at the slow pace of negotiations to reach a permanent deal.
Mr Trump has demanded a major rollback of Iran’s nuclear activities while Iran says it has a right to enrich uranium and its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Israel’s Prime Minister also wants Iran’s highly enriched uranium removed from the country. Iran’s foreign minister said last Friday that the issue of its enriched uranium stockpile is one of the most difficult subjects in negotiations with the US.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr Netanyahu repeated his belief Iran would not stick to any agreement to undo its nuclear program during the call with Mr Trump.
Iran was said to have included some nuclear concessions in its latest proposal to end the war, but Mr Trump dismissed the proposal as “garbage”.
Meanwhile, Iran still has a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for global oil supplies, even as the US military has enforced its own blockade on Iranian ports.