Washington/Tel Aviv, June 8: US President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have “no choice” but to accept any deal negotiated by Washington with Iran, asserting that he “calls the shots” in the matter.
“He won’t have any choice. He doesn’t call the shots. I call the shots. I call all the shots,” Trump told the Financial Times in a telephone interview.
Hours after Trump’s remarks, Israel launched strikes on military targets in western and central Iran, escalating tensions in the region.
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In a statement posted on X, the Israeli military said its Air Force struck “military targets” belonging to the Iranian regime. Iranian state media later reported explosions in Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj and Tabriz.
The developments came shortly after Iran launched ballistic missiles towards Israel following Israeli strikes in Lebanon. The Israeli military claimed all incoming missiles were intercepted by its air defence systems.
According to Axios, Trump had urged Netanyahu not to retaliate immediately against Iran’s missile attack and to allow more time for diplomacy.
Iran’s military leadership accused Israel of crossing “all red lines” with the Beirut strikes, while senior Iranian officials warned that both US and Israeli assets could become “legitimate targets” if attacks continued.
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The fresh exchange of strikes has raised fears of a wider regional conflict in West Asia.
