A phone call between Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. President Trump interrupted a meeting of Israel's security cabinet Wednesday night, according to cabinet ministers. Defense Minister Israel Katz also spoke with his counterpart, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. One minister said the Americans are trying to conclude the Iran matter and sign a memorandum of understanding as quickly as possible to prevent an Iranian retaliatory strike, with the Qataris pushing behind the scenes.
A phone call between Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump interrupted a meeting of Israel's security cabinet Wednesday night, with cabinet ministers reporting that the Americans are pressing for a rapid conclusion of a deal with Iran. The call, which took place around 23:37, was followed by a separate conversation between Defense Minister Israel Katz and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. One minister told journalist Yaron Avraham that the Americans are trying to 'end the incident and sign a memorandum of understanding as quickly as possible to prevent an Iranian response,' with Qatari mediation playing a role behind the scenes. The cabinet session resumed after the call concluded, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS).
The call is the latest in a sequence of contacts between the two leaders that The Zioneer has tracked throughout the evening. At 23:37, initial reports from Israeli Channel 12 confirmed a phone call had taken place, with a source familiar with the matter describing the U.S.-Iran agreement as nearing an 'almost final stage.' By 23:37, Noam Amir (Channel 14) reported that Trump had updated Netanyahu on the progress of signing the deal. Shortly afterward, a senior official told N12 that a signing could come 'as soon as tonight.' The thread then captured the security cabinet interruption, with a cabinet minister attributing the urgency to U.S. efforts to preempt an Iranian retaliatory strike. Source quality has evolved from single-channel reports to attribution from multiple Israeli journalists and a named cabinet minister.
The U.S.-Iran deal has been the subject of rapidly shifting statements throughout the day. Trump earlier described the emerging framework as a 'wall against a nuclear Iran,' as The Zioneer reported at 23:33. His characterization contrasts with criticism from former President Barack Obama and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who called the deal 'very bad,' as reported earlier. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has insisted any agreement must differ fundamentally from the 2015 JCPOA and meet Trump's 'zero enrichment' red line, while Trump himself has accused Iran of leaking false terms, as The Zioneer noted in earlier bulletins.
It remains unclear whether the memorandum of understanding has been finalized or when it may be signed. The full details of the deal's terms — including its scope regarding enrichment, sanctions relief, and Iranian commitments — have not been publicly disclosed. The cabinet's discussions following the interruption have not been detailed. No official confirmation from the Prime Minister's Office or the White House has been issued regarding the content or outcome of the call.
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