Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, is trying to persuade Donald Trump, the President of the United States, to quickly resume joint attacks against Iran immediately after the midterm congressional elections.
Pressure on Trump
The United States and Israel launched a large-scale offensive operation against Iran last February, and Middle Eastern officials have recently warned that any renewed conflict could be much more severe than previous stages; a trend that has previously destabilized the region and thrown international energy markets into chaos.
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According to statements from two informed individuals, Netanyahu urged Trump in a phone call on Saturday to resume hostilities after the voting on Tuesday, but the President of the United States has not yet made a decision on this matter.
Diplomatic Efforts and Current Conditions
An American official also confirmed the phone conversation between the two officials and stated that Netanyahu, seeking to salvage his shaky political position after the unclear results of the recent Israeli parliamentary elections, wants a return to hostilities, but Trump has not yet reached such a conclusion.
This development comes as Trump announced last week that "he must make a decision," although he has previously issued attack orders twice while negotiations with Tehran were ongoing.
At the same time, regional mediation efforts led by Qatar to reach a temporary agreement based on Iran's seven-day plan continue. Iranian officials, after a day of intensive negotiations in Tehran, pursued their consultations with mediators in Doha over the weekend.
According to this proposed plan, Iran will allow the free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, provided that the United States lifts the blockade on Iranian ports, issues permits for oil exports, and facilitates Tehran's access to some of its blocked assets abroad.
After that, the parties will resume negotiations to reach a final agreement. However, signs of progress have been limited due to deep mutual distrust and disagreements over the timing of actions and the fate of Iran's 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.
An informed source on the negotiations said that Washington is seeking to establish a specific timeline for the presence of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors at Iran's main nuclear facilities. The Trump administration has also repeatedly insisted that Iran surrender and transfer these enriched reserves abroad; a demand that Tehran officials have explicitly rejected.
An expert familiar with the negotiation process emphasized that both sides want an agreement and have shown signs of greater flexibility, but it is still unclear whether diplomacy can bridge these gaps; thus, mediators are trying to encourage Trump to allocate more time to the diplomatic process.
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