The "Financial Times" revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contacts US President Donald Trump "daily" to urge him to ignore mediation efforts and resume the war against Iran.
The British newspaper reported on Monday evening, citing an unnamed insider, that "Netanyahu calls him (Trump) daily to urge him to resume the war," amid diplomatic efforts led by Qatar to forge an agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Regional and diplomatic pressures
The source added that figures inside and outside the White House oppose the resumption of fighting and are seeking to counter Netanyahu's pressures to resume military operations against Iran. According to another source, Netanyahu indeed wants to resume the war, but indicated that there is currently no coordinated campaign to persuade Trump of this.
The source pointed out that "regional leaders are calling on Trump not to escalate and to prioritize negotiations." The newspaper noted that Netanyahu's continuous pressures to resume the war are raising concerns among Arab and Islamic leaders, who fear that renewed fighting could lead to a broader Iranian response and deepen instability in the Middle East.
Qatari mediation efforts
These developments come as Qatar intensifies mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran to forge an agreement ending the state of no war, no peace, amid its regional and international economic and political repercussions. Following his meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman in Washington on Monday, Trump spoke of "positive momentum" toward reaching an agreement with Iran.
An insider to the meeting told the newspaper that both sides agreed that "diplomacy is the preferred path to move forward toward reaching an agreement." On the same day, Trump said that Qatar and Saudi Arabia are keen to reach a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Iran, but he affirmed Washington's readiness to resume military strikes "if necessary."
Regional and Iranian positions
"Financial Times" reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad made contacts with Trump in recent days, urging him to give diplomatic efforts more time. In Israel, opposition leaders accuse Netanyahu of seeking to resume the war on Iran to thwart efforts by "Yesh Atid" party leader Gadi Eisenkot, tasked with forming the new government.
For its part, the semi-official Iranian "Fars" news agency reported on Monday, citing an unnamed official, denying the validity of reports about negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the release of $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets. Iran warned of its readiness to respond to any new attacks, with the possibility of the conflict expanding beyond the region.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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