Netanyahu, Trump Talk as Israel Vows to Shield Its Interests
Netanyahu, Trump Talk as Israel Vows to Shield Its Interests
Netanyahu says he spoke with Trump, signaling a potential path to negotiated outcomes while Israel keeps striking Iran and Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that he spoke with Donald Trump, with the U.S. President signaling that the combined U.S.-Israeli military gains in Iran could be turned into a negotiated agreement that safeguards Israel's vital interests. "We will protect our vital interests under any circumstances," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel continues to strike targets in Iran and in Lebanon.
He asserted that the campaign is "crushing the missile programme and the nuclear programme" of Iran and noted, "Just a few days ago we eliminated two more (Iranian) nuclear scientists, and this is not the end." His remarks came as Trump spoke of "very good" talks with an unnamed Iranian official, hinting at possible diplomacy alongside pressure.
Axios, quoting an Israeli official, identified the interlocutor as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's Speaker of Parliament, who later posted on X that there were "no negotiations" underway. Netanyahu's comments also followed his visit to a site of an Iranian missile attack, where he argued that U.S.-Israel moves were aimed at the wider world and regional stability.
With both sides signaling openness to dialogue while sustaining pressure, analysts say the situation remains volatile. The coming days could reveal whether the referenced framework for an agreement translates into concrete steps or remains a shifting balance of war aims and diplomacy amid tense regional dynamics.
