US media: Trump pressures Netanyahu to halt escalation of strikes on Iran

Odaily News According to reports from Israel’s Channel 12 on Monday evening local time, U.S. President Trump stated that he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu not to let the exchange of fire with Iran escalate into a full-scale war. Trump said, “I told Bibi (Netanyahu) that you’d better consider your actions carefully, because soon you might have to face Iran alone.” According to the report, Trump on Sunday had asked Netanyahu not to launch retaliatory strikes in response to Iran’s recent missile attacks on Israel. The phone call ended without a clear consensus, and Netanyahu did not disclose his final decision to Trump on the matter. Subsequently, Netanyahu consulted with defense officials and informed U.S. Secretary of State Rubio that he had decided to proceed with strikes against Iran. Trump stated, “The Israelis notified us at a very late stage. They were already on their way to strike Iran.” “I managed to scale down the scope of this attack.” Trump also revealed that five countries in the region — which are also involved in mediation efforts between the U.S. and Iran — had asked him to pressure Netanyahu to cease the strikes and advance the peace process. Trump emphasized that he remains willing to reach an agreement and believes Iran is also interested in reaching a deal with the United States.