On a Wednesday when Israel's leaders were gathered to weigh their northern and eastern dangers, the American president was reaching out by phone to both Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin, as the long shadow of Iran lengthened over the Persian Gulf. Each conversation carried a different weight: one reflecting an ally trying to read the intentions of a patron, the other a great power offering warnings and bargains that touch on a war far from the Gulf. History has seen many such moments, when a pressure campaign meant to compel surrender becomes a test of patience, cost, and the willingness
Trump Calls Netanyahu and Putin as Iran Blockade Strategy and Ceasefire Extension Come Into Focus
A blockade meant to last months, with a strike plan behind it
Mark
Two calls in one evening, Netanyahu and Putin. What's the common thread?
Mimi
Iran. Netanyahu's call came while Israel's security cabinet was meeting on Lebanon and Iran, and Putin's call ran about ninety minutes on Iran and the Gulf. Trump is talking to both sides of the argument.
Mark
What does Israel think Trump wants?
Mimi
According to Kan, Israel believes he wants to keep the naval blockade as leverage that could force Iran to give in, while the military prepares a major strike in case it fails.
Luke
I'd flag that. That's Israel's assessment as reported by one broadcaster. Trump hasn't confirmed a strike plan in anything we have here.
Mark
And the oil executives?
Mimi
A White House official told Reuters that Trump met them Tuesday to discuss sustaining the blockade for months without spiking prices for Americans.
Luke
Worth noting that's one anonymous official's description of the talks. We don't know what the executives said or committed to.
Mark
Putin's role seems unusual.
Mimi
The Kremlin says he backed the ceasefire extension and warned of dire consequences if force is used again. Trump said Putin offered to help on enrichment, and he steered it toward Ukraine.
Luke
Two accounts of one call, and they differ in emphasis. The Kremlin readout doesn't mention the Ukraine remark, and we only have Trump's word for how it went. Also unclear is whether Russia's uranium offer is really dead.
O Pulso
- A naval blockade of Iran has become the main lever of American pressure, and Israel is quietly preparing for the moment it fails.
- Trump's calls to Netanyahu and Putin landed on the same day Israel's security cabinet was debating Lebanon and Iran, sharpening every decision in the room.
- Oil executives were consulted on how to sustain a blockade for months without sending fuel prices soaring for American consumers.
- Putin warned of 'extremely dire consequences' if force is used again, while Trump seemed to trade Russia's uranium offer for help ending the war in Ukraine.
- The ceasefire extension now hangs in the balance, with the fate of Moscow's uranium proposal tied to whether Ukraine enters the bargain.
On a Wednesday when Israel's leaders were gathered to weigh their northern and eastern dangers, the American president was reaching out by phone to both Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin, as the long shadow of Iran lengthened over the Persian Gulf. Each conversation carried a different weight: one reflecting an ally trying to read the intentions of a patron, the other a great power offering warnings and bargains that touch on a war far from the Gulf. History has seen many such moments, when a pressure campaign meant to compel surrender becomes a test of patience, cost, and the willingness of others to step in as intermediaries. What remains uncertain is whether this pause in fighting will harden into settlement or give way once more to force.
On Wednesday evening, as Israel's security cabinet met at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv to discuss Lebanon and Iran, the phone rang with a call from Washington. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking with President Donald Trump while ministers were still deliberating, and Kan, Israel's public broadcaster, reported the exchange as it happened.
According to Israeli assessments relayed by Kan, Israeli officials believe Trump intends to keep the naval blockade of Iran in place as a pressure tool that could eventually force Tehran to capitulate. The same report said Trump has ordered the military to prepare a possible major strike should the blockade fail, and Israel is readying itself for several contingencies. These remain Israeli readings, not White House statements.
The economics of a long standoff had occupied Trump the day before, when he met US oil executives to discuss how a prolonged blockade of Iranian ports could be sustained for months without shocking global markets or American consumers.
Later, Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin for about an hour and a half. The Kremlin said the talk focused primarily on Iran and the Persian Gulf, that Putin backed the ceasefire extension, and that he warned of extremely dire consequences for the region and beyond if force is used again. Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, said Putin had offered to help on enrichment, and that he had answered that Putin could do more by helping end the war in Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly proposed moving Iran's enriched uranium to Russian soil, a idea the Kremlin says Washington rejected. Trump's remarks leave open whether that door is closed or has simply been tied to Ukraine. The coming weeks will show whether the ceasefire holds, how long the blockade lasts, and whether Moscow's uranium offer returns to the table.
On Wednesday evening, as Israel's security cabinet convened at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv to discuss Lebanon and Iran, President Donald Trump was on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kan, Israel's public broadcaster, reported the call, which came while ministers were still in session.
Kan also described how Israel reads Washington's intentions. According to the report, Israeli officials assess that Trump wants to keep a naval blockade of Iran in place, seeing it as a pressure tool that could eventually push Tehran to capitulate. The same report said Trump has told the American military to prepare for a possible major strike if the blockade does not work. Israel, it added, is preparing for several contingencies. These are Israeli assessments relayed by a broadcaster, not public statements from the White House.
The economics of a long blockade were on the president's agenda the day before. A White House official told Reuters on Wednesday that Trump met US oil executives on Tuesday to discuss what a prolonged blockade of Iranian ports could mean. The talks reportedly centered on how to sustain the pressure campaign if it runs for months while limiting disruption to global oil markets and protecting American consumers from price spikes.
Later on Wednesday, Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A Kremlin statement from Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said the call lasted about an hour and a half and dealt "primarily" with the situation around Iran and in the Persian Gulf.
According to that statement, Putin supported Trump's extension of the ceasefire. He also warned of "extremely dire consequences" not only for Iran and its neighbors but for the whole international community if the United States and Israel use force again. Trump, the statement said, set out his assessment of the results of the concluded phase of the military confrontation.
Speaking from the Oval Office afterward, Trump offered his own account of one part of the exchange. Putin, he said, told him he would like to be involved with the enrichment issue if he can help the US get it. Trump said he replied that he would much rather see Putin help end the war in Ukraine, which he called more important.
Russia has proposed more than once moving Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles onto Russian territory. The Kremlin said earlier that the United States had rejected that idea. Trump's remarks leave open whether the offer is truly dead or is now tied to Ukraine.
What to watch next is whether the ceasefire extension holds, how long the blockade continues, and whether Moscow's uranium proposal returns to the table with Ukraine attached.
Citações Notáveis
Putin told him he'd like to be involved with the enrichment, and Trump said he'd rather have him help end the war in Ukraine, which would be more important.— President Donald Trump, Oval Office
Renewed US or Israeli force would bring extremely dire consequences for Iran, its neighbors and the whole international community.— Kremlin statement by Putin aide Yuri Ushakov
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