Eurasia Press & News
President Donald Trump gave a new warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Iran war.
The divide is notable because the Trump administration has been supportive of the Israeli government amid the Iran war, but its latest military action threatens to test the longstanding relationship between the two allied countries. Public tension has grown over diverging interests in the Iran war. Trump, facing difficult political headwinds over the war at home, has emphasized the need for a lasting ceasefire, while Netanyahu has his own political considerations.
Trump provided new details of his conversation with Netanyahu with the Israeli Channel 12 news outlet on Monday.
“I told Bibi, you better be very careful what you do, because you could be left alone against Iran very soon,” he said, according to the news outlet.
When reached by Newsweek, a White House official confirmed the call but did not provide further details. Newsweek also reached out to Netanyahu’s office for comment via email.
Trump Calls Israel, Iran to ‘Stop Shooting’ After Strikes Exchanged
Trump has been pushing for a ceasefire in the Middle East, writing to Truth Social on Monday that Israel and Iran “must immediately stop ‘shooting.’” Over the weekend, the Israeli military said it carried out strikes on Iran after the Islamic Republic launched ballistic missiles into northern Israel, reigniting hostilities amid a fragile ceasefire. It was the first direct exchange since April.
Trump told Axios he planned to ask Israel not to respond to Iran’s attack.
“I call all the shots, he doesn’t call the shots,” Trump said of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, underscoring tensions between Washington and Israel over how to respond to Iran.
Trump also said on Truth Social on Monday that a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in place since April would remain in effect until a final deal with Tehran is reached.
On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes on Beirut were part of its ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon. Iran also launched missiles toward Israel on Sunday. Israel intercepted many of the projectiles and later launched airstrikes against targets in Iran. Multiple waves had been exchanged by Monday.
Netanyahu Defies Trump Plea
Trump urged Netanyahu against retaliating after the Iranian strikes, arguing that any escalation could derail negotiations to bring a lasting peace. Israel, however, proceeded with the strikes on Iran, highlighting the growing tension between the U.S. and Israeli leadership.
“What I would suggest to Iran: You’ve shot your missiles, that’s enough. Get back to the table and make a deal,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Trump said the U.S. was prepared to resume military operations against Iran should ongoing diplomatic efforts falter.
The U.S. has blamed Iran for the resumption in hostilities. U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote on X early Monday: “Iran & its proxy agents of evil want to incinerate America & Israel. Mothership of Satan is in Tehran.” Iran, meanwhile, has blamed the U.S.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said the U.S. was responsible for the recent ceasefire breaches and that ”the actions of the Zionist entity within the region cannot be looked at in isolation from the United States.”
Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief peace negotiator, Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, said U.S. bases and Israeli assets were now legitimate targets due to hostile acts, including the “violation of agreements over Lebanon.”
“They showed that they only understand the language of power,” he wrote on X on Sunday.
Netanyahu and Trump’s Dueling Interests
Both Trump and Netanyahu are set to face elections this year that could be shaped by the Iran war.
In the U.S., Trump is facing political backlash over the conflict, with many Americans feeling the U.S. had no reason to get involved. The economic impact, including inflation and higher gas prices, has further taken a toll on Trump’s popularity.
The latest poll from Quantus Insights found that only about 39 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of Iran, while 42 percent approve of him overall. It surveyed 1,050 likely voters from June 1-2 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
These polls are a major red flag to Trump, as Democrats believe the Iran war could boost their chances of flipping both the House of Representatives and the Senate in November. Trump has said the midterms aren’t shaping his approach to Iran, but Republicans in key races are concerned about the impact the conflict will have in November.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, will be facing his own electoral considerations as he faces public pressure to have a strong response to threats to Israel ahead of elections later this year.
Israel, Iran Strikes Halt
By Monday, Israel and Iran had appeared to halt further strikes following Trump’s Truth Social message.
The Iranian military’s joint command, in a statement said it was halting offensive strikes, but that further “aggression and hostile acts” by Israel and its supporters would face “much more severe and crushing measures than before.” Netanyahu, in a video message, suggested the current round of fighting would stop but warned that Israel would respond with force if Iran “makes the mistake and returns to attacking us.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a post on X that the wave of violence is a “stark reminder of the dangers associated with a tenuous ceasefire and the unbearable consequences it may lead to.”
“As we work earnestly and painstakingly, together with our brothers and partners, to find a peaceful diplomatic solution to the conflict, and especially when the final objective is just about to be achieved, we sincerely urge all sides to exercise restraint and give peace a little more chance,” he wrote.
