Trump favors Iran diplomacy over Netanyahu strikes push

US President Donald Trump has indicated a preference for diplomatic engagement with Tehran despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's push for military action against Iran immediately following Tuesday's US midterm elections, according to American and Israeli sources familiar with the leaders' weekend exchange.

Weekend exchange

During a Saturday phone call, Netanyahu pressed Washington to resume military action shortly after the ballot, but Trump favored allowing diplomatic tracks to play out, according to Axios. An Israeli source characterized the discussion as "tough," while a US source described it as "direct." Trump confirmed Sunday that he had spoken with Netanyahu, describing the conversation as "a very good talk." He told reporters Saturday that talks were progressing well, adding that he is not "in much of a hurry" to resume strikes, though he has previously suggested a resumption after the Nov. 3 midterms.

Diplomatic channels

The exchange follows correspondence sent by US Vice President JD Vance to Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, regarding the potential resumption of formal negotiations. Qatari mediators are currently holding discussions with Iranian representatives to broker a return to direct talks between Washington and Tehran, according to the report.

Tehran's stance

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cautioned that an agreement has yet to be reached, stating that Tehran is awaiting answers from the United States on outstanding issues. The White House and the Israeli prime minister's office declined to comment on the report, according to Axios.