Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been making daily calls to US President Donald Trump, pressing him to restart military strikes against Iran, according to a report by The Financial Times.
"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 is quoted as saying by the publication.
"The regional leaders are telling him not to escalate and prioritise negotiations", the person added.
The report, citing another individual familiar with the situation in Israel, said Netanyahu was keen on resuming the attacks on Iran, although there was no "push" to convince Trump to take that course.
Trump, however, indicated that another round of strikes against Iran "seemed to be unlikely" following a conversation with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. Doha is spearheading regional efforts to secure a temporary understanding between Washington and Tehran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that "Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and others would prefer the status quo, in other words, a continuation of the Greatest Naval Blockade in History, and the new Operation Iron Gate".
He made clear that he favoured maintaining economic pressure on Iran through a blockade instead of carrying out further military action.
"We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict, and will ensure that America's interests are at all times protected," Trump wrote.
The Financial Times report also highlighted growing concern among Arab and Muslim leaders over Netanyahu's efforts to persuade Trump to resume the conflict with Iran.
People familiar with the diplomatic conversations said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had all spoken to Trump.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials, including representatives of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the country's military leadership, have warned that any renewed US or Israeli attacks would invite asymmetric retaliation.
