(MEDIAite)-President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly became embroiled in a furious telephone confrontation over the war in Iran, with one source describing the exchange as “a shouting match from hell.”
The heated call took place over the weekend as the two leaders clashed over whether to resume military strikes against Tehran, according to Israeli outlet Ynet, which cited sources familiar with the conversation.
Netanyahu has been pressing for renewed military action against Iran, while Trump has signaled that he wants to give diplomacy another chance amid ongoing negotiations with the Islamic Republic.
Netanyahu’s office strongly denied the confrontation to the outlet, dismissing the report as “fake news” and “complete nonsense.” A senior Israeli official acknowledged that the conversation took place, but insisted it was “very much not a difficult conversation.”
The reported dispute comes as the Israeli leader argues that Iran’s nuclear ambitions cannot be permanently eliminated without overthrowing its government.
“Iran is working to renew the nuclear threat. The only way to permanently remove this existential threat is by toppling the ayatollah regime,” Netanyahu told Israel’s parliament Tuesday, Ynet reported.
Trump, however, struck a markedly different tone Monday following talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who has been mediating discussions between Washington and Tehran. He told reporters that “taking military action” does not seem “a very necessary thing” but maintained the U.S. military remained “locked and loaded.”
The Financial Times also reported that Arab leaders are increasingly alarmed by Netanyahu’s efforts to persuade Trump to restart the war and reported Monday that one source familiar said the Israeli prime minister was calling the president “every day.”
Trump reiterated his reluctance to escalate the conflict during an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes that aired Sunday.
“Well, I’m not looking to. I don’t think there’s any reason to. I don’t think there’s any reason to,” he said.
