President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly gone from close allies to screaming at each other over how to handle the Iran war.
But when Netanyahu’s office pushed back against reports of the explosive phone call, it turned to Trump’s favorite explanation for an unflattering story — “fake news.”
The reported clash exposes a growing divide between the two leaders over whether to restart military strikes against Iran or give diplomacy more time to work. Netanyahu has continued pressing Trump to resume the conflict, while the president has resisted another escalation, even as Israel prepares for the possibility of a new attack.
Israeli media outlets reported that a weekend phone call between the leaders grew heated, with one source describing it as a “shouting match from hell,” according to the New York Post.
Netanyahu repeatedly pushed for military action to resume, but Trump favored giving ongoing negotiations with Tehran more time to succeed.
A senior Israeli official acknowledged that the two leaders spoke over the weekend but insisted there had been no confrontation.
The reported argument was not their first heated exchange over the war.
Trump previously acknowledged having an explosive conversation with Netanyahu in June, admitting during an interview with the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast that he called the Israeli prime minister “f—king crazy” during one of their discussions.
The latest reports also fit a pattern of increasingly persistent lobbying by Netanyahu.
The Financial Times reported days earlier that the Israeli leader had been calling Trump every day to urge him to resume an all-out military campaign against Iran.
“Netanyahu calls him every day [to urge him to resume the war]. Those who don’t want a war within the White House and outside have been trying to combat that,” a person briefed on the discussions told the newspaper.
The same source said Gulf leaders were urging Trump to prioritize negotiations rather than launch another offensive. Arab and Muslim leaders have reportedly grown alarmed by Netanyahu’s continued push for renewed combat operations.
Trump appeared to acknowledge those concerns after meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose government has been mediating between Washington and Tehran.
“Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and others would prefer the status quo,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that renewed American strikes on Iran appeared “quite unlikely.”
A second source familiar with the situation in Israel told the Financial Times that Netanyahu wanted military action to resume but said there was currently no coordinated “push” to persuade Trump.
Netanyahu has been particularly insistent about removing Iran’s leadership. Speaking to the 26th Knesset assembly Tuesday, he argued that regime change was necessary to eliminate the threat from Tehran.
“Iran is working to renew the nuclear threat. The only way to permanently remove this existential threat is by toppling the Ayatollah regime,” he said.
But Trump has increasingly favored economic pressure over another round of bombing. During his Sunday interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes,” he was asked whether he would restart the war.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to,” he replied.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed that position Tuesday, arguing that sanctions, the naval blockade and other economic measures were weakening Iran without requiring additional military strikes.
“We don’t need to conduct military strikes if we’re achieving the same objective through economic means and economic pressure,” Rubio told reporters, according to Fox News.
He rejected suggestions that Washington and Tehran had reached a stalemate, saying, “They’re bleeding. They’re bleeding economically,” and adding, “It is an increased pressure on Iran that continues to grow every day.”
Trump defended the military campaign again Wednesday during his Veterans Day address at Arlington National Cemetery, declaring that the United States had won the conflict but insisting the country should pursue a total victory before ending it.
“America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war on America since 1979. They should have been taken care of a long time ago,” he said. “And it was just about time somebody fought back. All of us fought back. We fought back, and we fought back. We won. Now the question is when we want to end. We must have a total victory. Not a 93% victory. It’s going to be total,” Trump continued.
He acknowledged that the United States had suffered casualties during the roughly seven months of conflict.
“We lost 18 beautiful souls,” Trump said. “When this conflict is over, and it will be soon, the entire world will be much safer, a better place, more peaceful place and a place without the kind of danger that we had to suffer.”
Trump’s comments have already had a noticeable effect on financial markets, with oil prices falling to their lowest levels since late August as investors reacted to his suggestion that the war was “effectively over.”
Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, dropped nearly 3% to $89.66 a barrel on Tuesday after falling almost 6% the previous day, according to The Guardian.
European stocks also climbed, with the Stoxx 600 gaining 0.9%. Airline shares rose on expectations that easing tensions could lower fuel costs, while oil giants BP and Shell saw their shares fall.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s security Cabinet reportedly ordered the military to step up preparations for a possible attack on Iran, Israeli media reported Wednesday. The directive came after opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot urged Netanyahu not to deploy the military “without a direct and immediate threat” while the country awaits the formation of a new government.
Netanyahu’s political future is also uncertain following October’s election, in which his bloc lost its parliamentary majority. President Isaac Herzog has since tasked Eisenkot with forming a new government, giving him 28 days to assemble a governing coalition.
The disagreement over Iran is not the only issue complicating relations between the two leaders. According to Axios, Trump also urged Netanyahu during a separate phone call Thursday to advance his Gaza peace plan, which has been stalled for months.
A source familiar with the discussion described the call as constructive. Rubio, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff also participated. However, Washington is increasingly pressing Netanyahu to cooperate with the agreement’s next phase, which includes disarming Hamas and transferring responsibility for Gaza’s governance to a Palestinian technocratic administration.
“We want to move forward collaboratively and we need full cooperation and partnership from the Israeli government,” a U.S. official said.
