Report: Trump told Netanyahu in ‘exceptionally firm’ terms not to retaliate against Iran’s missile fire

US President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in “exceptionally firm” terms not to retaliate against Iran’s violation of a US-brokered ceasefire today, a White House source tells Axios.

After publicly condemning both Israel and Iran for what he considered violations of the truce, Trump said he would try to stop Israel’s response. Over the phone with Netanyahu, Trump expressed in “an exceptionally firm and direct way” his disapproval of the Israeli retaliation strike, which was about to be carried out by fighter jets in Iran.

“The president told Netanyahu what needed to happen to sustain the ceasefire. The prime minister understood the severity of the situation and the concerns President Trump expressed,” the Washington source tells the news outlet.

While Trump insisted on Israel not carrying out an attack at all, Netanyahu told his American counterpart that canceling the strike was not possible and that Israel had to respond somehow to Iran’s violation.

Ultimately, the two sides agreed on a much more limited strike, hitting only one target and canceling a large number of others, according to Axios.