Shouting match from hell: Trump, Netanyahu clash over future of Iran war

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly clashed in a heated phone call over the future of the Iran war, with Netanyahu pushing for renewed strikes and regime change while Trump favoured diplomacy and economic pressure. Israel denied that the conversation turned confrontational.Trump, Netanyahu's call spirals into shouting match from hell over Iran warUS President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a heated telephone conversation over the weekend that descended into a "shouting match from hell," amid disagreements over the future course of the war with Iran, according to Israeli media reports. Netanyahu reportedly pressed for renewed military action, while Trump favoured allowing ongoing peace negotiations with Tehran to continue.Netanyahu has maintained that the US should resume strikes and seek regime change in Iran, while Trump has favoured economic pressure aimed at securing concessions from Tehran. The Israeli prime minister’s office rejected claims that the conversation became confrontational, describing the reports as “fake news.”Israeli news outlets Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu repeatedly urged Trump to restart the war during the call. Trump, however, continued to back a diplomatic approach as talks with Iran progressed.Sources quoted by both outlets described the conversation as having descended into a “shouting match from hell”. A senior Israeli official confirmed that the two leaders spoke over the weekend but denied that any confrontation had taken place. Trump and Netanyahu have previously had heated telephone exchanges over the conflict. Following several disagreements in June, Trump told The Post that he had called Netanyahu “f**king crazy” during one conversation.The latest reports emerged days after the Financial Times said Netanyahu had been telephoning Trump daily to persuade him to resume an all-out war. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is facing uncertainty over his position after losing seats in the general election held in October. Netanyahu has continued to argue that Washington must restart attacks on Iran and pursue regime change. Addressing the 26th Knesset assembly on Tuesday, he said replacing Iran’s leadership was the only way to end what he described as Tehran’s reign of terror and halt its nuclear programme.“Iran is working to renew the nuclear threat. The only way to permanently remove this existential threat is by toppling the ayatollah regime,” Netanyahu said.Trump has resisted calls to resume the conflict, choosing instead to let the US economic pressure campaign continue in an effort to compel Iran to make concessions. Asked during a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday whether he would restart the war, Trump said he did not think “there’s any reason to”.The reported exchange underscored the leaders’ differing positions, with Netanyahu seeking renewed military action and regime change in Iran, and Trump continuing to favour diplomacy and economic pressure. Israel has denied that the weekend call developed into a clash.- Ends