Trump warns Iran: US must decide how to win "final" victory

US President Donald Trump addressed rising tensions with Iran on Tuesday, saying Washington must make a final decision on how it intends to defeat the Iranian regime.

"We're doing very well with Iran," Trump said. "We just need to make a final decision on which way we want to win. Do we want to win the nice way, or the not-nice way." He added: "They need to decide which way we're going to win."

Trump's remarks come amid escalating friction between Washington and Tehran, with Israeli officials warning of miscalculation leading to further conflict. At the same time, the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported a mediation initiative led by Pakistan and Qatar aimed at preventing renewed confrontation between the two countries.

According to the report, the proposed framework includes the transfer of interest totaling $6 billion from frozen Iranian funds held in Qatari banks, in exchange for an Iranian step on oversight of its nuclear program. Sources involved in the contacts said the proposal has received American consent and that Iran has expressed preliminary agreement in principle.

The central component from Washington's perspective is nuclear oversight: Tehran has agreed to allow a confidential, non-public visit by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to nuclear sites in the country. In return, the proposal addresses interest that has accumulated on the $6 billion sum held in Qatari banks.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged today to topple the Iranian regime. "We are committed, I am committed, to finish the job," Netanyahu said at Kiryat Shmona University – the new Tel Hai. "Finishing the job means toppling the terror regime in Iran, which is the head of this poisonous octopus. You cut it off, and it will fall."

Netanyahu added that "we must complete the elimination of the Iranian regime, that is the main thing. I have spoken about this with President Trump more than once, including the day before yesterday. Because as long as it lives, even if it is wounded, hurt, beaten, it is so fanatical that it will try again to do what it did a year ago."

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a secret visit to Israel yesterday, during which he met privately with the prime minister. The visit was revealed by the American news site Axios, citing two sources involved in the closed-door discussions. The military censor barred Israeli media from publishing details of the meeting.

The senior American official's arrival was kept in complete secrecy and took place amid the tense consultations currently underway between Jerusalem and Washington. At the center of the talks: joint preparations and options for action ahead of a potential resumption of fighting on the Iranian front.

In a phone call between Netanyahu and Trump, the prime minister thanked the President for his support. "I am so grateful for this incredible support. You were an incredible leader of the free world, of America," Netanyahu said. Trump called Netanyahu a "fighter" and predicted "a tremendous victory" for him.

Watch the full conversation (Photo: Spokesperson's Office)

Netanyahu turned to Trump and said they must complete the mission: "We have work to finish. You said it, and we'll finish it together." Trump replied and promised that "nobody else will do it." The President emphasized that he personally drafted the statement of support for Netanyahu.

Diplomatic sources estimate that after the midterm elections in America, a joint attack may occur that would lead to demands for Israeli concessions. In Israel, officials are warning against miscalculation leading to escalation, as tensions continue to mount between the two countries.