‘Bibi's Hair Was On Fire’: Inside The Dramatic Trump-Netanyahu Call That Exposed Rift Over Iran War

‘Bibi's Hair Was On Fire’: Inside The Dramatic Trump-Netanyahu Call That Exposed Rift Over Iran War Published By, Last Updated: May 21, 2026, 09:51 IST Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly clashed in a tense call over Iran, with Netanyahu urging renewed airstrikes and Trump insisting on another diplomatic attempt US President Donald Trump speaks to the media next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Palm Beach, Florida. (Source: Reuters) United States President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly again clashed over what should be the next steps in the ongoing war with Iran. The two leaders held an hour-long, tense call during which the Israeli prime minister called for resumption of airstrikes on Iran as Trump kept insisting that diplomacy should be given one more chance before the countries take up arms again. According to Axios, as Trump and Netanyahu spoke about new efforts to reach a deal with Iran in what was called a “difficult call" on Tuesday, some sources suggested that Netanyahu’s “hair was on fire" after the call. Trump-Netanyahu’s ‘Difficult’ Call During the lengthy and “difficult" call with Netanyahu, Trump informed him that mediators Qatar and Pakistan were working on a “letter of intent" which both the US and Israel will have to sign to end the war formally. After the signing of the letter, both countries will be given a 30-day period time to negotiate on issues like the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme, as per Axios. Also Read: Trump, Netanyahu Hold ‘Prolonged, Dramatic’ Call As Iran Tensions Fuel Speculation Over Next Steps According to the Israeli sources, the two leaders faced disagreement over the way forward in the Iran war, while some US sources confirmed that “Bibi’s hair was on fire after the call." Israel’s ambassador to Washington had told the US lawmakers that Bibi was concerned about the call with Trump. However, an embassy spokesperson denied the characterisation and stated that “the ambassador does not comment on private conversations." As per the report, two sources stated that Netanyahu has been extremely worried at previous stages of negotiations, especially as earlier deals have not been finalised. However, one source said, “Bibi is always concerned". ‘Bibi Will Do What I Want Him To Do’: Trump On Iran War Despite reported disagreements with Netanyahu, Trump has maintained that the two leaders are united over their Iran plan. Speaking to reporters, Trump said Netanyahu “will do whatever I want him to do" on Iran war, and added that they share a good relationship. Despite their temporary disagreements on Iran, the two leaders have remained closely coordinated throughout the war. “The only question is do we go and finish it up or are they gonna be signing a document. Let’s see what happens," Trump said at the Coast Guard Academy. Later, the president said that the US and Iran were “right on the borderline" between finalising a deal and resuming the war. Where US-Iran Negotiations Stand Today Earlier this week, Trump said he had put on hold plans for a military strike on Iran, under an operation reportedly renamed “Sledgehammer", following requests from Gulf allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt have over the past several days been engaged in efforts to fine-tune a proposal aimed at narrowing differences between the fighting countries, according to Axios. Also Read: Trump, Netanyahu Were On Verge Of Making A Decision On Iran In ‘Dramatic’ Phone Call: Report Two Arab officials and an Israeli source told Axios that Qatar recently shared a revised draft proposal with the US and Iran. However, another source said there was no independent Qatari proposal and that Doha was instead attempting to reconcile differences in an earlier Pakistani-backed draft. One Arab official said Qatari representatives travelled to Tehran earlier this week to hold discussions with Iranian officials over the updated proposal. “As stated previously, Qatar has been and continues to support the Pakistani-led mediation efforts, we have been consistently advocating for de-escalation for the sake of the region and its people," a Qatari diplomat said. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that negotiations were continuing “based on Iran’s 14-point proposal" and added that Pakistan’s interior minister was in Tehran to assist the mediation process. It marked the minister’s second visit in less than a week. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that for the negotiations to move forward, the US would need to stop its “piracy" against Iranian vessels and release frozen Iranian funds, while Israel would have to end its war in Lebanon. As per Axios, all three sources cautioned that it remained uncertain whether Iran would accept the latest draft or substantially alter its current position. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter