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US President Donald Trump held a tense conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, exposing deep differences over the future course of the war with Iran.
According to CNN, this was not their first discussion in recent days. During a call on Sunday, May 17, Trump reportedly informed Netanyahu that the US was likely to launch new strikes on Iran early in the week. CNN says the planned operation was to be called “Sledgehammer.”
However, roughly 24 hours after that conversation, Trump announced a halt to the strikes that had allegedly been scheduled for Tuesday, saying the pause came at the request of US allies in the Persian Gulf.
A source told CNN that Gulf countries then remained in close contact with the United States and Pakistani mediators while working on a framework agreement aimed at opening the door to further diplomatic talks.
Against that backdrop, Trump said on Wednesday that negotiations with Iran were entering their final stage.
According to the report, the continuation of diplomacy has frustrated Netanyahu, who has long advocated a tougher approach toward Tehran. Officials in the Trump administration and Israeli government said the Israeli prime minister argued that delays only benefit Iran.
During Tuesday’s call, Netanyahu reportedly expressed disappointment, telling Trump that postponing the anticipated strikes was a mistake and urging him to proceed with the original plan, a US official said.
An Israeli source added that Netanyahu remains skeptical about the possibility of reaching an agreement through negotiations, especially since Iran still refuses to give up uranium enrichment — one of the key sticking points in the talks. The source said Netanyahu pushed for renewed military action.
Summing up the situation, an Israeli official said the disagreement was clear: Trump wants to see whether a deal can still be reached, while Netanyahu expected a different approach.
A day earlier, Trump stated that the United States was prepared to continue attacks on Iran if Tehran refused to agree to a peace deal. At the same time, he said he was willing to wait a few more days to “get the right answers.”
It also became known on May 21 that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had approved a directive stating that stockpiles of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium must not be moved outside the country.
