Report: Netanyahu Urged Trump Not to Seek Ceasefire with Iran

SadaNews - An informed Israeli source told the American website "Axios" that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressured Trump during a phone call on Sunday not to pursue a ceasefire at this stage, expressing concern about the risks that such a step could entail. According to the source, Trump told Netanyahu that if Iran agreed to the American conditions, a ceasefire could be reached, but he emphasized that he would not abandon his demand for Tehran to hand over its entire stockpile of enriched uranium and commit not to resume enrichment operations in the future. Mediation efforts under deadline pressure and escalation According to a report published by "Axios", communications between Washington and Tehran are taking place through multiple channels, including direct mediation from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, in addition to indirect exchanges of messages between Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The report noted that the chances of reaching an agreement within 48 hours remain low, despite this period being regarded as the "last opportunity" to avoid a wide escalation that could involve intensive strikes on civil infrastructure in Iran and Iranian responses targeting energy and water facilities in Gulf states. It also pointed out that an American-Israeli military plan to strike Iranian energy facilities is already prepared, and the extension of the American deadline was made to allow a final opportunity for the diplomatic path. In detail, the mediators are working on drafting "confidence-building" steps related to two main files: reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, whether by removing it from the country or reducing its enrichment levels, issues that are postponed to the final agreement stage. These two files are viewed as the main pressure points in Tehran's hands, which refuses to make full concessions on them in exchange for a temporary truce, prompting the mediators to explore partial solutions in the first phase. At the same time, mediators are seeking American guarantees to Iran that any ceasefire will not be temporary only and will not turn into a situation similar to what happened in Gaza or Lebanon, where military operations could be resumed at any time. In contrast, Iranian officials continue to adopt a "hardline public stance", with leaders in the Revolutionary Guard stating that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz "will not return to what it was before the war", indicating strategic changes in dealing with international navigation, especially regarding the United States and Israel. Mediators estimate that any large-scale attack on Iranian energy facilities could lead to a widespread Iranian response targeting the energy and water infrastructure in Gulf states, raising regional concerns about the potential repercussions of escalation.