Smotrich and Ben Gvir to join Iran consult with Netanyahu and security chiefs after PM’s call with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a security consultation tonight focused on Iran following his call earlier today with US President Donald Trump.

Joining the meeting with security chiefs are National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Shas chair Aryeh Deri and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, the Kan public broadcaster reports. The far-right ministers Ben Gvir and Smotrich aren’t typically included in such high-level meetings.

Channel 12 says Netanyahu’s conversation with Trump lasted 40 minutes and that the premier paused his interrogation during his criminal trial in order to take the call.

The call comes ahead of Iran’s anticipated response to the US proposal for a nuclear deal. The Iranian response is expected to come in the form of a counter-offer to the US proposal in which it will refuse to give up enriching uranium on its territory, Channel 12 says.

The US proposal reportedly proposed allowing Iran to enrich at low levels for a limited period of time before a Mideast consortium is created for Iran and other countries to enrich at low levels outside of the Islamic Republic.

Neither Netanyahu nor Trump’s office has issued a readout on the call yet.

When the two spoke last month, Netanyahu’s office had claimed the conversation had gone well only for reports to later reveal that it had not been the case. Trump later confirmed that he had told Netanyahu not to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities due to fear that it would blow up the ongoing nuclear talks.