Netanyahu, Trump clash over Iran strike in heated call

A particularly difficult phone call took place over the weekend between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, amid deep disagreement over the Iranian issue, Ynet reported Tuesday evening. Netanyahu's office was quick to deny the account, calling it "complete nonsense."

According to the report, the call centered on Iran, against the backdrop of disagreement between America and Israel over whether to renew military action against the Islamic Republic.

Sources involved in the details described the exchanges between the two as tense and sharp, with one source characterizing the episode as "a screaming match from hell."

The reports reflect widening gaps between Israeli strategy and the American approach to handling the Iranian threat at this time. Just yesterday, Trump said he sees no reason to renew military confrontation with Iran at this stage.

The Prime Minister's Office firmly rejected descriptions of a sharp confrontation. In an official response, the claim was labeled "fake news and complete nonsense." A senior Israeli official confirmed that the call did take place, but insisted the atmosphere was "very much not tense."

The dispute is sharpening against the backdrop of recent security discussions in Israel. According to a report by Yaron Avraham on Tuesday evening's Channel 12 news, disagreements have resumed between the Prime Minister and senior political officials on one side, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on the other, regarding the options available to Israel vis-à-vis Tehran.

The Chief of Staff, according to the report, is wary of the steps the Prime Minister seeks to advance, believing they are not cautious enough and could drag Israel into another confrontation with Iran. Zamir argues that precisely at this time, great caution is required, particularly given that the United States is not signaling willingness to join another confrontation in the region.

President Trump (Photo: Aryeh Leib Abrams, Flash90)

Alongside the reports of the call, Netanyahu delivered a forceful message in a speech he gave today in the Knesset. The Prime Minister warned against international pressure to accept a nuclear Iran, and made his position clear: "The only way to remove the threat is by toppling the regime."

"Iran is working to renew the nuclear threat. The only way to permanently remove this existential threat is by toppling the ayatollahs' regime," Netanyahu stated at the opening of his remarks. The Prime Minister warned that "in the near future we will face international pressure to accept a nuclear Iran and the continued existence of the regime of terror that seeks to destroy us."

Netanyahu emphasized the need for a unity government as a condition for confronting the security challenges. "In the face of these threats, we must do one thing in this house: set aside every other consideration and establish a national unity government. Only it will be able to deal with such enormous challenges," he said in the speech.

The remarks were made against the backdrop of shared understanding in the security leadership that the Iranian threat has not been removed and that issues requiring attention still remain. The current dispute is not focused on the need to confront Iran itself, but primarily on the question of timing, the nature of the actions, and the possible price Israel might pay.