Trump, Netanyahu had tense phone call on future of Iran war: reports

Key points

• U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a tense phone call over the future course of the war on Iran as Washington appeared to be in favour of a deal instead of the resumption of strikes, U.S. media reported.
• After the Tuesday (May 19, 2026) phone call with Mr. Trump, Mr. Netanyahu’s “hair was on fire”, U.S. media outlet Axios reported on Wednesday (May 20, 2026), adding that the Israeli Prime Minister was keen on the resumption of strikes to further degrade Iran’s military capabilities and weaken the regime by destroying its critical infrastructure.
• Trump on Sunday (May 17, 2026) said he had put-off strikes on Iran, planned for Tuesday (May 19, 2026), following a request from Arab nations including Qatar and the UAE.
• A revised peace memo was drafted by Qatar and Pakistan with input from the other regional mediators to try to bridge the...