In a blunt call, linked to media, Trump warns Netanyahu to wrap up Gaza and back off Iran—linking US nuclear diplomacy, Saudi normalization, and Israeli restraint. The Israeli PM, facing possible dissolution of the Knesset and new elections, may have little recourse but to comply. Or possibly defy.

In a call that insiders described as “unusually direct,” President Donald Trump delivered four crisp messages to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 9—each one aimed at reining in Israeli military activity and reshaping the regional chessboard. Finish the war in Gaza. Cancel any plans for striking Iran. Help pave the way for a Saudi-Israel normalization deal. And stay in sync with America’s diplomatic offensive.

According to senior Israeli officials cited in multiple outlets, the tone was unmistakable. “Trump wasn’t asking,” one adviser said. “He was making himself clear.”

While previous Trump–Netanyahu exchanges were marked by camaraderie and strategic alignment, this latest conversation was described by Channel 12 and Israel Hayom as “frank and sharp,” in what amounted to a reset. Israeli sources confirmed that Trump views the war in Gaza as having “run its course” and now impeding broader diplomatic goals.

No to Tehran: Trump’s Red Line

Among the most consequential items on the agenda was Iran. Trump reportedly told Netanyahu that any public discussion of an Israeli military strike on Iran “must be taken off the agenda.” While Israel has been increasingly open about its preparations and willingness to act against Iranian nuclear infrastructure, Trump is said to believe that even rhetorical escalation could derail delicate negotiations set to resume in Muscat on June 15.

The talks—indirect, via intermediaries—aim to revive or restructure a nuclear understanding that allows for limited enrichment in exchange for international monitoring and sanctions relief. Trump has drawn a red line against enrichment on Iranian soil, but remains committed to testing diplomacy as a first option. Any Israeli strike, he warned Netanyahu, could unravel those efforts and drag the region into open confrontation.

“Trump is not soft on Iran,” a source close to the White House said. “He’s just not willing to let Netanyahu blow up a channel he still sees as productive.”

Gaza: From Offensive to Obstacle

The second pillar of Trump’s call was equally stark: wrap up the Gaza campaign.

Netanyahu has resisted mounting U.S. and international pressure to declare an end to the war against Hamas. Israeli operations continue in Rafah and central Gaza, with the IDF reporting progress in dismantling Hamas battalions, even as global media amplify allegations of civilian harm and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

But for Trump, Gaza is now a liability—not only for Israel, but for his broader regional vision. “The war is over,” one U.S. official reportedly said, reflecting the administration’s view. “Now is the time for diplomacy.”

The subtext: so long as Israel is locked in urban warfare and hostage negotiations, neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia can be pushed toward deals that serve American interests. The message to Bibi: if you want Trump at your back, give him a win in the Middle East—by stepping off the battlefield.

Iran Talks: Fraught but Moving

The upcoming sixth round of U.S.–Iran nuclear talks is scheduled to take place in Oman, with mediation by the UAE and Omani envoys. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, will be involved, though Iran remains publicly dismissive of the U.S. position.

Tehran continues to demand recognition of its right to enrich uranium, denouncing efforts to impose external constraints as “unfair and colonial.” The U.S. has floated alternative proposals, including regional enrichment outside Iranian territory, but prospects remain tenuous.

Meanwhile, Iranian rhetoric is escalating. Senior commanders have warned of strikes against U.S. bases in the Gulf should Israel or America provoke confrontation. A recent parliamentary statement accused Washington and Tel Aviv of orchestrating a “trap” through these indirect talks.

Nonetheless, American officials believe that Iran is stalling for time to avoid a “snapback” of sanctions while waiting for political winds to shift in Washington. Trump, sources say, has imposed an informal deadline: show progress by early July—or pivot to pressure.

Strategic Interlock: Gaza, Iran, and the Saudis

None of these files exists in isolation. For the Trump administration, everything is linked. Ending the war in Gaza would clear the way for Israeli-Saudi normalization, which in turn might corner Iran diplomatically and leave Hamas isolated.

But Netanyahu is under immense domestic pressure—not just from the Israeli public, who want the hostages back, but from his own coalition, which is split between tactical patience and ideological rigidity. Ending the war without total Hamas capitulation could risk his government. Continuing it against Trump’s wishes could risk far more.

The Cost of Defiance

For now, Netanyahu is said to have listened carefully but made no formal commitments. Israeli officials later emphasized that decisions about Gaza and Iran would be made based on “Israel’s sovereign security needs.”

But sovereignty comes with trade-offs. Trump, unlike Biden, has little interest in managing crises through multilateralism or U.N. forums. He operates through leverage. And in this case, leverage means support—or its absence.

One former U.S. intelligence official put it bluntly: “Trump just told Bibi that the price of going it alone may be going it without America.”

The coming weeks will test whether Netanyahu sees that as an acceptable cost—or a risk too high to take. Either way, the message has been delivered. And this time, it wasn’t wrapped in diplomacy.

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Sources: Axios, Israel Hayom, Channel 12, Reuters, Times of Israel, Haaretz, Iranian state media, U.S. State Department briefings.