Trump, Netanyahu hold talks amid Iran tensions
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation on Saturday against the backdrop of continuing tensions with Iran and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, The Wall Street Journal reported. The conversation came two days after Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), personally briefed Trump at the White House on possible military operations against Iran. The unusual meeting, also reported by The Wall Street Journal , was attended by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, according to officials and individuals familiar with the discussions.
On Friday, Trump indicated that Tehran was interested in negotiations while facing mounting financial difficulties. "There are talks. They want to talk. They keep talking. They're not paying their soldiers. They're not paying their police. They're in a lot of trouble," he told reporters. The President also suggested that the United States was not facing an immediate deadline to conclude the conflict. "We have time, frankly. It's a war, but it is not a typical war."
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article quotes Trump saying "We have time, frankly" but never mentions the midterm elections on 3 November. The outlet's own earlier reporting said Trump opposed restarting the war before them, and other outlets reported that he could order new strikes straight after them. Without this, a reader takes Trump's remark as a sign of no pressure to strike, not as a timetable tied to the election.
How we know
- Arutz Sheva / Israel National News wrote earlier“the primary reason the operation did not proceed was Trump's opposition to restarting the war before the US midterm elections on November 3”Report: Netanyahu planned to attack Iran, Trump said - don't (opens in a new tab)
- New York Post reported“President Trump could unleash a new round of military strikes immediately after Tuesday’s midterm elections”US, Iran race to revive Qatar talks as Trump weighs new strikes after midterms (opens in a new tab)
Meanwhile, sources involved in mediation between Washington and Tehran told the Qatari newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed on Saturday that negotiations in Qatar had made progress. According to the report, an American delegation was expected to join Iranian representatives for discussions in Doha. The sources said preliminary understandings had been reached on several issues, including Iran's nuclear program, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and potential economic incentives for Tehran.
China and Russia were also expected to act as guarantors of any eventual agreement. Despite the reported diplomatic progress, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a warning to Israel and the United States following a meeting with senior Iranian military commanders. "Every level or type of threat must be met with an immediate and effective response, without geographical restrictions," Khamenei wrote on social media.
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