Netanyahu's office calls report of heated call with Trump over Iran ‘complete nonsense’

Detailed summary

An Israeli news report claimed that a weekend phone call between Netanyahu and Trump led to a heated exchange, with one source calling it a “shouting match.” | World News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has denied reports of him having a heated phone call with United States President Donald Trump over Iran, calling these “fake news” and “complete nonsense.”

This comes after a report from Israeli media outlet Ynet, citing sources, claimed that a weekend phone call between Netanyahu and Trump, which largely focused on Iran, had been unusually difficult and led to a heated exchange. One of the sources quoted by Ynet called it a “shouting match from hell.”

The conversation took place against the backdrop of purported disagreements between Washington and Iran over whether to renew the war against Iran. A senior Israeli official reportedly confirmed to Ynet that the call took place, but insisted that it was “very much not a difficult conversation.”

Also Read | Arab, Muslim leaders urge Trump to hold off fresh Iran strikes, prioritise diplomacy: Report

Both Netanyahu and Trump have given contradicting statements recently on the Islamic Republic. The US President touted “positive momentum” in negotiations and signalled he was ready to hold off on fresh strikes against Iran, reversing earlier threats, after a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

However, Netanyahu’s remarks in the Knesset on Tuesday underscored differences. The Israeli PM claimed the nuclear threat cannot be permanently eliminated without the fall of the Iranian regime.

Both Netanyahu and Trump have also suffered significant electoral setbacks in their respective countries. The Israeli PM's Likud Party-led bloc is set to win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset but has not reached the 61-seat majority mark. Meanwhile, Trump's Republican Party has lost control of the US Congress in the November midterm elections.

US President Trump, who initiated strikes on Iran alongside Israel in February this year, has now signalled “status quo” and cooled on the idea of fresh strikes after the midterm elections, a threat he had…

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