President Trump said he plans to call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urge him to skip retaliation for Iran's weekend missile attack, betting that a show of restraint can salvage his broader diplomatic agenda in the Middle East.
"I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate. Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don't need another one," Trump told Axios.
The moment is delicate. Iran fired multiple waves of missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to an earlier Israeli operation targeting Beirut's southern suburbs. Israel intercepted the incoming fire, but the exchange marks the first direct Iranian attack since an April ceasefire took hold.
Trump's demand puts him in an unusual position. Historically, the U.S. has supported Israeli military operations. Blocking a potential Israeli response in Iran would signal a sharp shift in that posture, though the specific scope of American military assistance remains unclear. A U.S. official told Axios "We are not part of this," but Trump has not explicitly ordered the Pentagon to withhold support like air refueling or military coordination that could be critical if Netanyahu orders a strike.
Trump downplayed the Iranian attack itself. "The Iranian strikes didn't hurt anybody," he said, adding that he hopes Israel refrains from hitting back. "If Bibi strikes them back, it's just gonna keep going like the last 47 years or the last 3,000 years."
The president's primary concern is a separate agreement he says is within reach. "We are very close to a final deal with Iran. It is going to be a good deal. I don't want it to blow up because of what is happening now," Trump said.
Netanyahu's response will test how much influence Trump retains over Israeli decision-making at a time when the region is teetering between de-escalation and renewed conflict. Without American backing, any Israeli retaliation would carry significantly higher risk and complexity. That calculation could prove decisive in how the Israeli leader responds to Trump's call.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump is gambling that personal appeal and the promise of a bigger Iran deal can keep Netanyahu's finger off the trigger, but history suggests that calculation rarely works when Israeli security is on the line."
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