Netanyahu said to have asked Trump to hold off on Iran strike

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump over the past day to delay potential plans for an American strike on Iran, a senior US official tells The New York Times.

According to the report, Trump and Netanyahu spoke yesterday about the issue, on the same day that Trump announced he had heard “on good authority” that the killing of protesters in Iran had stopped — appearing to back away from his recent threats to attack.

Following The New York Times report, Channel 12 reports that after a series of overnight consultations at the Kirya military headquarters, Israel informed the US that while it supports any US decision, it is not currently pushing for a strike.

The Hebrew network adds that a US attack remains on the table as Washington continues to assess the situation, citing five sources involved in or familiar with White House discussions on the matter.

Jerusalem and Washington are holding daily consultations, the report continues, adding that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with Netanyahu yesterday for reportedly the third conversation within six days.

While military options remain on the table for Trump, the current pause is also being viewed as an opening for diplomacy, the network continues, citing a US official as saying that the regime will collapse unless Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei agrees to speak directly with Trump.

Senior officials from American allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt have also been urging the Trump administration not to attack Iran over the past several days, a Gulf Arab official says in the Times report, warning that such a move could trigger a wider regional conflict. Earlier reports indicated that leaders of the four Arab states led a coordinated effort to dissuade Trump from launching a strike.

Channel 12 adds that Israeli officials believe the protests are being suppressed and have declined dramatically, and there is a dispute within Israel’s top leadership regarding the approach toward Iran.

Former strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, who played a central role in the Iran file before leaving his position last year, is advocating for a more hawkish approach and conveying this to the Americans, the network says.