Trump holds multiple calls with Netanyahu ahead of Israeli strikes on Iran

US President Donald Trump engaged in several phone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 13, including discussions prior to Israel’s military strikes on Iranian targets, a source familiar with the exchanges said.

While the specifics of the conversations remain undisclosed, the source emphasized that Trump attributes the recent Israeli action to Iran’s failure to reach a new nuclear agreement before the expiration of its 60-day deadline, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

US and Israeli officials confirmed that Trump plans to speak with Netanyahu again later today to discuss the evolving situation.

Despite the escalation, White House officials reaffirmed the president’s commitment to salvaging the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. The source indicated that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff remains prepared to meet Iranian representatives as scheduled—either in Oman on June 15 or at a later date.

To recap, in the early hours of June 13, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated a large-scale military operation codenamed Rising Lion, during which the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted multiple waves of precision airstrikes across Iranian territory. The operation focused on military installations and components of Iran’s nuclear program.

According to reports, targets included key strategic sites in Tehran, where several high-ranking Iranian military officials were killed.

The attacks also resulted in the deaths of key Iranian military and scientific leaders. Among the casualties was Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was also killed, a loss that the IRGC officially confirmed.

By Vafa Guliyeva