Netanyahu presses Trump in phone call to resume Iran strikes after US midterms

Trump said Washington still needed to “take care of” one or two Iranian nuclear sites.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed President Donald Trump during a “direct and pointed” phone call Saturday to resume the war against Iran immediately after the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, while Trump argued for giving negotiations with Tehran more time, two Israeli and American sources familiar with the conversation told N12.

Netanyahu is concerned about the U.S.-Iran negotiations being conducted with Qatari mediation, the sources said.

Trump currently wants the diplomatic effort to run its course and does not want Israel to interfere, although his position could change if negotiations fail.

The White House and Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment.

Trump is simultaneously preparing for the possibility of renewed large-scale military operations after the elections while seeking an agreement that would allow peace talks to resume.

He followed a similar approach before Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 and Operation Mighty Wrath last February.

Vice President JD Vance last week sent Mohsen Rezaei, a senior official on Iran’s National Security Council, a letter concerning the possibility of restarting U.S.-Iran negotiations.

It marked the highest-level American outreach to Iran in several months.

Speaking to reporters Saturday, Trump said negotiations were “going OK” and that he was “not in any particular hurry.”

He said Iran wants an agreement but described the Iranians as “not particularly reliable… They make a deal and then they go back on it.”

Trump also said Washington still needed to “take care of” one or two Iranian nuclear sites.

“We can do it in ten minutes. We have a plan ready for that. You can look at Mount Pickaxe. We have to take care of it. We can do it very quickly,” Trump said.

Qatari mediators met senior Iranian officials Sunday for a third consecutive day in an effort to secure an agreement allowing direct U.S.-Iran negotiations to resume and prevent renewed fighting after the midterm elections.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that no agreement had been reached and that progress depended on U.S. answers to questions raised by Iran.