Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday evening before the start of a closed meeting of the Israeli security cabinet dedicated to the war with Iran. According to Israeli media, the leaders discussed the possibility of a new phase of war with Tehran, as well as Trump's recent trip to China.
According to Channel 12, in a conversation with Netanyahu, Trump stated that he believes Iran is still interested in a deal, but he threatened tough military actions if Tehran does not comply with U.S. demands regarding its nuclear program.
Trump told the Israeli leader that he expects Tehran to present an updated proposal for the deal in the coming days, but did not specify any deadlines.
"We want to make a deal, but right now the Iranians are not where we would like them to be," Channel 12 quoted Trump as saying. "They will have to come to this, otherwise they will face a serious blow."
"If they do not come to us with a more favorable offer, we will hit them harder than ever before," he added.
Reports that the U.S. and Israel are allegedly preparing to resume military operations against Iran have emerged in recent days amid Trump's escalating rhetoric.
In particular, he previously issued an overt threat.
"For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they better hurry up — FAST, or there will be nothing left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!" Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
