NYT: Netanyahu urges Trump to delay potential US strike on Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked U.S. President Donald Trump to postpone any potential American military action against Iran, a senior U.S. official told The New York Times (NYT) on January 15, as Iran continues to face widespread domestic unrest.

According to the official, Netanyahu spoke with Trump on January 14. The conversation took place on the same day Trump publicly stated that he had received information from “very important sources on the other side” indicating that Iranian authorities had halted the killing of protesters and were no longer proceeding with executions.

Trump’s remarks appeared to signal a possible shift away from a military option, which the U.S. president had been considering for several days amid escalating tensions with Tehran and reports of a harsh crackdown on nationwide protests.

Instead of immediate military action, Washington moved forward with additional economic pressure. On January 15, the United States announced a new round of sanctions targeting Iran’s senior leadership and financial networks. Among those sanctioned was Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, along with 18 other individuals and entities accused of operating within Iran’s so-called “shadow banking” system.

U.S. officials said the sanctions were imposed in response to Tehran’s actions against protesters and are intended to further isolate the Iranian leadership.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X that Washington stands with the Iranian people. “At the direction of President Trump, the Treasury Department is sanctioning key Iranian leaders involved in the brutal crackdown against the Iranian people,” he wrote.

By Vugar Khalilov