Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump to delay potential plans for an American strike on Iran, the New York Times reported Thursday, citing a senior US official. It said Netanyahu had requested that Trump “postpone any plans” for a military attack. The White House later confirmed that the two leaders had spoken by phone, but did not give details of the conversation.

Trump had threatened to strike Iran over its mass killings of protesters in anti-regime demonstrations that began two-and-a-half weeks ago. Iran has threatened to retaliate against Israel if attacked by the US.

On Wednesday, Trump appeared to back away from the threat, saying he received assurances that the killings would cease. Trump and Netanyahu spoke over the phone the same day, and the premier asked Trump to hold off on attacking Iran, according to the Times. It was unclear from the report if the conversation took place before or after Trump’s statement.

Senior officials from American allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt have also been urging the Trump administration not to attack Iran over the past several days, a Gulf Arab official told the US newspaper, warning that such a move could trigger a wider regional conflict. Earlier reports indicated that leaders of the four Arab states led a coordinated effort to dissuade Trump from launching a strike.

Following the New York Times report, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported that, after a series of consultations at the Kirya military headquarters overnight, Israel informed the US that it is not currently pushing for a strike but will support any American decision.

The network added that a US attack remained on the table as Washington continued to assess the situation, citing five sources involved in or familiar with White House discussions on the matter.

Jerusalem and Washington are holding daily consultations, the report continued, adding that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also spoke with Netanyahu on Wednesday for reportedly the third conversation within six days.

While military options remain on the table for Trump, the current pause is also being viewed as an opening for diplomacy, according to Channel 12, which cited a US official as saying that the Iranian regime would collapse unless Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei agreed to speak directly with Trump.

According to the network, Israeli officials believe the protests are being suppressed and have declined dramatically, and there is a dispute within Israel’s top leadership regarding the approach toward Iran.

Former strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, a Netanyahu confidant who played a central role in the Iran file before leaving his position last year, is advocating for a more hawkish approach and conveying this to the Americans, the report added.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Trump and Netanyahu spoke, but declined to provide details on what they........

© The Times of Israel