**Output:** Trump’s "Peacemaking" Behind the Scenes: Netanyahu Needs the War to Continue, But Trump Wants the Opposite

According to an Axios report, over the past 24 hours, Trump has been working hard to avoid a full-scale resumption of war. He is caught in a dilemma: on one hand, he understands that Netanyahu can hardly ignore Iran's missile attack; on the other hand, he fears that this cycle of retaliation could escalate into a full-blown war. Netanyahu's logic is that if he does not retaliate against Iran, it will signal to the outside world that Iran has the upper hand and can deter the US and Israel from taking military action. At the end of the call where Trump urged Netanyahu not to retaliate, the latter did not make a clear decision. Some American officials involved in the call believe Trump successfully bought more time. However, Netanyahu believes that while Trump is against a retaliatory strike, "it was not an explicit 'don't do it' statement." US and Israeli sources say the events of the past 24 hours provide further evidence that the strategic interests of the United States and Israel, as well as the political interests of Trump and Netanyahu, are increasingly diverging. One US official said: "Netanyahu needs the war to continue in order to maintain his political survival in Israel; while Trump needs the war to end in order to maintain his political survival in the US." (Jin Shi)