President Trump moved to block an Israeli retaliation against Iran on Sunday, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shelve military action and give diplomacy room to breathe. The push came after Tehran launched a missile strike, which officials said was retaliation for an earlier Israeli operation in Beirut.
Trump placed the call to Netanyahu on Sunday and made his position clear: stand down and let negotiations play out. According to a senior U.S. official and an Israeli source with knowledge of the conversation, Trump framed the moment as critical for closing a deal with Iran, telling Netanyahu that "we are close to doing something good in terms of a deal."
Netanyahu resisted but ultimately agreed to hold back, though the official described the Israeli leader's compliance as "pseudo agreement" rather than enthusiastic endorsement. The tone of Sunday's call proved markedly different from a tense exchange between the two leaders the previous week. Trump did not raise his voice, and the conversation remained measured throughout.
The Trump administration also clarified it had not authorized the Israeli strike in Beirut that prompted Iran's response, creating distance between Washington and that operation.
Trump's effort to restrain Israel reflects a broader administration strategy to keep the Israel-Iran spiral from torpedoing ongoing U.S. negotiations with Tehran. Officials view the current moment as pivotal. "We are in a moment in time. Why jeopardize a potential deal when you are in the fourth quarter?" the senior official said, noting that Trump has been working this file for three months and sees the endgame approaching.
Trump told the Financial Times that Netanyahu will ultimately have no say in the terms of any U.S. Iran deal. "I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn't call the shots," Trump said. The president added that Netanyahu "won't have any choice" but to accept whatever agreement emerges from the negotiations.
The official expressed confidence that Trump had secured breathing room. "We think the president bought a little bit of time," the official said. "I don't think anything is imminent in terms of an Israeli strike." The administration views itself as in the closing stages of negotiations and believes premature military action could derail months of diplomatic work.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's gamble here hinges on whether a deal actually materializes, and whether Netanyahu's 'pseudo agreement' holds if tensions flare again."
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