U.S. President Donald Trump issued a strong warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was preparing a large-scale retaliatory airstrike on Iran, even hinting at the possibility of cutting off support. To prevent a full-scale Middle East war and quickly secure a cease-fire deal, Trump personally pressed the head of a key ally to restrain military action.
On the 8th (local time), Axios reported that as armed clashes between Israel and Iran intensified, Trump repeatedly called Netanyahu to urge a halt to the airstrikes. On the 7th, Israel launched a surprise strike on sites of the armed faction Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon, without notifying the White House in advance. Iran, in a tit-for-tat response, fired missiles toward Israel. Ahead of cease-fire talks, Trump urged Israel to refrain from additional strikes so the mood would not sour, but Netanyahu ignored this and carried out successive strikes on major targets in Tehran, Iran.
As the exchanges continued into the morning of the 8th with Iran firing missiles at Tel Aviv, Trump contacted Netanyahu again and ratcheted up the pressure. It was at a moment when Israel was preparing to strike dozens of targets inside Iran in its largest operation since April. In an interview with Axios, Trump said he told Netanyahu, "Bibi, you'd better be careful. Otherwise, you'll be on your own very soon." It was an ultimatum-style remark that the United States could turn its back if he insisted on war. Netanyahu canceled the airstrikes on the condition that Iran would not carry out further provocations.
The U.S. government was confirmed to have received requests for de-escalation from neighboring countries and Iran. Trump said five Gulf countries asked him to dissuade Netanyahu, adding, "These countries were very worried. They like very much the deal we've been negotiating." He explained that Iran also conveyed a message that it would stop attacking if Israel also stopped. On the cease-fire agreement, Trump said, "With this deal, Iran will not be able to possess nuclear weapons and uranium enrichment will be halted," adding, "It's a tremendous deal, and we got everything we wanted."
However, differences between the parties remain a lingering spark. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf pushed back on Trump's remarks, saying, "We have no trust in the other side," and argued the contents of the deal are different. A U.S. administration official told Axios, "Bibi needs the war to continue to survive politically in Israel, and Trump needs the war to end to survive politically in the United States." Experts said that with the two leaders' strategic interests diverging, the Middle East situation is likely to remain unsettled for the time being.