Trump urged to pause Iran strike after Netanyahu warning over regional war risk
US action still “on the table” as Israel and Gulf allies fear Iranian retaliation and wider conflict
Donald Trump has been persuaded to delay a potential US military strike on Iran following urgent representations from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Arab leaders, amid fears that any attack could trigger a wider regional war.
US sources told American media that Netanyahu urged the former president to hold off on airstrikes, warning that Iranian retaliation could rapidly spiral into an all-out conflict involving Israel and neighbouring states. Leaders Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt are also said to have pressed Washington to pause, citing concerns that Tehran would respond by targeting their countries.
Iran has previously warned that any US military base in the Middle East would be considered a legitimate target in the event of an attack – a threat that has heightened anxiety in Israel and across the Gulf.
Despite the delay, sources stressed that US military action remains “on the table”. Trump is reported to have warned Tehran that its leadership faces collapse unless Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei agrees to speak to him directly.
The developments come against a backdrop of escalating unrest inside Iran and renewed tension between Tehran and Jerusalem. Israel and several Arab states have increasingly aligned against Iran over its backing of proxy terror groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are central to Israel’s security concerns.
The situation also follows last summer’s brief but intense Israel-Iran war, which saw Israeli strikes devastate Iranian military infrastructure and senior command figures. Iran retaliated with missile fire at civilian areas before the US struck Iranian nuclear sites.
Just weeks ago, Trump publicly promised Netanyahu he would “knock the hell out” of Iran if it attempted to rebuild its nuclear programme following the conflict.
Meanwhile, the White House said Iran had halted hundreds of planned executions linked to the ongoing protests. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the regime had paused 800 executions scheduled for 14 January, after communicating assurances to Washington.
She added that President Trump was keeping “all options on the table” and had not ruled out military strikes if Iran continued killing its own citizens.
Trump earlier claimed he had received intelligence from “very important sources on the other side” about the executions, and warned there would be “very strong action” if the bloodshed continued.
Human rights groups and Iranian activists remain sceptical. An Iranian refugee in contact with protesters told The Sun: “The regime is buying time by lying to Trump, and they will do what they want once he loses focus.”
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed this week that a Canadian citizen has died in Iranian custody, saying they were killed “at the hands of the Iranian authorities”.
Israel has repeatedly warned about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and proxy forces, but a direct US-Iran clash could leave Israel in Tehran’s firing line.
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