Khaberni - Informed Israeli sources said Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, during which they discussed the developments in the Iranian file, in what was their second contact in two days.
The Israeli Channel 12 reported, quoting unnamed sources, that the second call between Netanyahu and Trump took place on Thursday, as the American president continues to consider available options for dealing with Tehran, including military and diplomatic paths, without having made a final decision yet.
The sources claimed that Netanyahu had asked Trump during their first contact, which took place last Wednesday, to "reconsider" any potential military steps, in light of Israeli fears of Iranian retaliatory reactions.
These movements coincide with assessments brought forward by the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation about a possible American attack on Iran "in the coming days," with the Israeli army on high alert in anticipation of an Iranian retaliatory response.
In a related context, the head of "Mossad," David Barnea, arrived in the United States on Friday, to present the Israeli perspectives on the military and diplomatic approaches to dealing with Tehran, as part of ongoing coordination between the two sides.
American Hesitation and Israeli Caution
Earlier, the Axios website, citing five American, Israeli, and Arab sources familiar with the matter, reported that the American president postponed conducting military strikes on Iran, while the White House is holding internal consultations and with allies about the timing of the operation and whether it would lead to destabilizing the regime.
The website mentioned that the military option towards Iran remains strongly on the table in the wake of Iran's handling of ongoing protests, but Trump's decision to reconsider reflects a deep uncertainty within the American administration and among its allies about the consequences of that option, including the potential for widespread retaliatory reactions.
The New York Times indicated that Israel is closely monitoring the protests in Iran, but it does not consider a military intervention at this stage to be likely.
The newspaper quoted analysts and experts stating that the Iranian regime is far from the brink of collapse, and that the current protests are insufficient to bring it down.
These experts also see Israeli caution as justified, given the extensive risks of an Iranian response to Israel, including the potential outbreak of a very large new war.
