FT: Netanyahu Presses Trump Almost Daily to Resume Iran Strikes

Update, Nov. 9 (evening)

President Trump said Monday that a renewed military campaign against Iran "doesn't seem to be necessary" and that resuming attacks seems "quite unlikely," and he described the war as "effectively over" militarily, while saying the United States remains "locked and loaded" if conditions change (Axios, Barak Ravid; also AP).

A diplomat briefed on Trump's meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Axios that Trump made clear he wants a deal and will give negotiations a chance, but that he could reverse course if Iran does not take talks seriously (Axios).

Those remarks publicly downplay a near-term new offensive. They sit alongside the earlier Financial Times account below of Netanyahu pressing for resumed strikes; AFNS does not treat either as a settled decision.

The Financial Times reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pressing President Trump almost daily to resume large-scale U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, and that Netanyahu ordered the IDF to plan a major new offensive earlier this month. The account relies on anonymous sources. Israel has not publicly confirmed the FT reporting. Secondary coverage of the FT piece includes Ynet and Yeshiva World.

A diplomat briefed on the discussions told the FT that Netanyahu calls Trump "every day" to urge him to renew the war, that people inside and outside the White House who oppose escalation are trying to block that, and that regional leaders are telling Trump not to escalate and to prioritize talks (Ynet summarizing FT).

A U.S. official confirmed that the leaders spoke and that Netanyahu wants hostilities to resume, but said Trump is "not there yet." A person familiar with the matter said the United States is giving diplomacy "a last-ditch chance" to succeed (Yeshiva World citing FT).

Qatar-led interim outline (per FT)

The FT account also describes a Qatar-led interim outline under which Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade on Iranian ports, allowing oil exports, and releasing access to some frozen assets, then returning to talks on a longer agreement. Related AFNS coverage of a separate, UNCONFIRMED Al Hadath/Al Arabiya framework report: Report: Gulf Mediators Float Iran Nuclear Framework as Trump Keeps Strikes on Table.