When he lobbied US President Donald Trump not to strike Iran last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reasoned that Israel is not fully prepared to defend against Tehran’s retaliation, The Washington Post reports, citing an unnamed source close to the White House.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face voters this year for the first time since the 2023 Hamas attack shook his security credentials, with the outcome of the latest crisis in Iran likely to be key to salvaging his legacy,

Putin and Netanyahu discussed developments in the Middle East and Iran in a phone call on Friday, Russia said.

The report came after the US appeared to shift towards diplomatic means of pressure to stop the Iranian crackdown on protesters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally asked US President Donald Trump to hold off on a US military attack on Iran,

A series of urgent high-level contacts among the U.S., Israel, Iran and Russia has slowed, but not removed, the possibility of an American strike on Iran amid mass anti‑regime protests and a harsh crackdown.

Axios reports that Trump and Netanyahu spoke on Thursday night to discuss Iran, their second phone call in two days on the Iran crisis.

New penalties come as Trump welcomes purported Iranian decision to halt execution of antigovernment demonstrators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extends support for Iran’s protest movement, saying Israel is closely monitoring nationwide demonstrations for freedom as unrest intensifies across the country.