In the weeks before American midterm voting, the leaders of the United States and Israel have quietly found themselves at odds over the old question of when force should follow failed diplomacy. Two governments that have long moved in step now disagree over whether the window for talks is still worth holding open. As Washington tests whether a restarted channel to Tehran can hold, Jerusalem presses for action that could reshape the region's balance. Whether patience or urgency prevails will shape the next chapter in a long and uneasy standoff over Iran's nuclear program.
Trump Favors Iran Talks as Netanyahu Presses for a Strike Right After the Midterms
Talk on one track, prepare on the other
Mark
What's the core disagreement here?
Mimi
Timing. Netanyahu reportedly wants a strike right after Tuesday's midterms. Trump says talks are going fine and he's in no hurry.
Mark
Is Trump ruling out force, then?
Mimi
No. He said the U.S. has to take care of one or two nuclear sites, and that a plan exists for Pickaxe Mountain that would take about 10 minutes.
Luke
Worth flagging that the "10 minutes" figure is Trump's own claim. Nothing in the reporting verifies it.
Mark
And the call itself?
Mimi
Two sources, one Israeli and one American, called it "tough" and "direct." Both said Netanyahu wants a post-midterm strike.
Luke
Right, but they're anonymous, and the account comes through Axios. The Wall Street Journal confirmed only that the call happened, not its content. Neither the White House nor Netanyahu's office commented.
Mark
Why does the earlier history matter?
Mimi
Before Midnight Hammer in June 2025 and Epic Fury in February, Trump pursued a deal and prepared for combat at once. This looks similar.
Luke
Similar, yes, but that's a pattern, not a prediction. We don't know that a strike follows.
Mark
What about Vance's letter?
Mimi
He wrote to Mohsen Rezaei about restarting talks, the highest-level contact in months.
Luke
We don't know whether Rezaei replied, or whether talks have actually resumed.
El Pulso
- A tense phone call between Trump and Netanyahu exposed a sharp split over when to act against Iran.
- Netanyahu is pushing for a military strike as soon as the midterm elections are over, while Trump wants negotiations to play out first.
- A Vance letter to Iran's national security chief has reopened a diplomatic channel not seen at this level in months.
- Trump says talks are 'going fine,' yet has kept force open, singling out the Pickaxe Mountain site as something that could be struck in minutes.
- Everything now hinges on whether talks restart after November 3 and whether Netanyahu's urgency gains traction in Washington.
In the weeks before American midterm voting, the leaders of the United States and Israel have quietly found themselves at odds over the old question of when force should follow failed diplomacy. Two governments that have long moved in step now disagree over whether the window for talks is still worth holding open. As Washington tests whether a restarted channel to Tehran can hold, Jerusalem presses for action that could reshape the region's balance. Whether patience or urgency prevails will shape the next chapter in a long and uneasy standoff over Iran's nuclear program.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone about Iran, and by the accounts of two sources the conversation was far from smooth. Days before the midterm elections, the two leaders reportedly disagree about timing. Netanyahu wants a military strike once the votes are counted, while Trump prefers to see how negotiations unfold. Neither office would comment publicly, and the substance of the call remains known only through anonymous sources and reporting by Axios and the Wall Street Journal.
The pattern is familiar. Before earlier operations against Iran's nuclear program, Trump pursued a deal while readying major combat in case diplomacy failed, and he appears to be doing the same now. Last week Vice President JD Vance wrote to Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's national security chief, about restarting negotiations, the highest-level contact from Washington to Tehran in several months.
Trump told reporters the talks are "going fine" and that he is in no hurry. He said Iran wants a deal but cannot be trusted to keep one. He also made clear that force remains available, saying the United States must "take care" of one or two nuclear sites, and he singled out Pickaxe Mountain, which he said could be dealt with in about ten minutes under a plan already in place.
The open questions are whether talks truly resume after the midterms and whether Netanyahu's push for an immediate strike finds support in Washington.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got on the phone to talk about Iran. By the accounts of two sources, the conversation did not go smoothly. The two men reportedly disagree about when to act, with only days to go before Tuesday's midterm elections.
The call was described by one Israeli source and one American source. The Israeli called it "tough." The American called it "direct." Both said Netanyahu is pressing for a military strike on Iran as soon as the midterms are over. Trump, for now, would rather see how negotiations unfold, and Netanyahu is uneasy about that, according to Axios. Neither the White House nor Netanyahu's office would comment. The Wall Street Journal was first to report that the call had happened, though it did not say what was discussed.
The pattern is a familiar one. Before Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025, and again before Operation Epic Fury in February, Trump worked two tracks at once. He tried to assemble a deal that might revive peace talks while preparing to resume major combat if those efforts failed. He appears to be doing the same thing now.
The diplomatic track received a lift last week. Vice President JD Vance wrote to Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's national security chief, about the possibility of restarting negotiations. It was the highest-level contact from Washington to Tehran in several months.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Trump said the talks are "going fine" and that he is not in much of a hurry. He said Iran wants a deal but cannot be fully trusted, and put it this way: the Iranians make agreements and then back out of them.
He also made plain that force remains on the table. Trump said the United States has to "take care" of one or two nuclear sites in Iran.
He singled out Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected nuclear site built into a mountain. Trump said the U.S. could deal with it in about 10 minutes and that a plan is already in place. "We can do that very quickly," he said.
What to watch is whether talks actually restart once the midterms are behind him, and whether Netanyahu's push for an immediate strike gains any traction in Washington. The account rests on anonymous sources and a report relayed through Axios, with no official confirmation of the call's substance.
Citas Notables
We can do that very quickly.— President Donald Trump, on Pickaxe Mountain
The call was 'tough' (Israeli source) and 'direct' (American source).— Anonymous sources, via Axios
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