'Bibi, you better be careful': Trump warns Netanyahu 'further strikes' on Iran could isolate Israel

Trump, who has repeatedly favoured a diplomatic resolution with Iran, reportedly asked Netanyahu to show restraint, arguing that a breakthrough in diplomatic talks could materialise within days.

US President Donald Trump has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel could face international isolation if it resumes large-scale military operations against Iran, following a tense 24-hour period marked by escalating cross-border attacks and heightened regional tensions.

While giving details about his conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister, Trump told Axios, "I said, 'Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon.'" 

The warning shows the US President's growing anxieties that renewed strikes may sabotage ongoing efforts to broker a diplomatic accord with Tehran and push Washington further into a regional war.

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The friction escalated after Israel carried out strikes against Hezbollah-linked targets in Beirut, a move that triggered barrage of retaliatory missile from Iran against Israel, fuelling international concerns about the possibility of a full-scale regional war.

Trump, who has repeatedly favoured a diplomatic resolution with Iran, reportedly asked Netanyahu to show restraint, arguing that a breakthrough in diplomatic talks could materialise within days.

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According to US and Israeli officials quoted by Axios, Trump is attempting to strike a careful diplomatic balance, acknowledging Israel’s need to respond to Iranian aggression while also seeking to prevent a cycle of retaliation that could escalate into an uncontrollable war.

Despite the concerns expressed by the US President, Netanyahu informed the White House that Israel would proceed with limited military operations. Israel subsequently carried out strikes on targets inside Iran, prompting Tehran to launch another round of missile attacks. Although US forces did not take part in the offensive action, American defence officials confirmed that US military assets assisted Israel in detecting, tracking and intercepting the incoming Iranian missiles.

Amid the rapidly worsening crisis, Trump held another phone conversation with Netanyahu in an effort to dissuade the Israeli leader from pursuing a broader military campaign against Iran. According to Israeli officials, Netanyahu ultimately agreed to refrain from further escalation, provided that Iran also halted its attacks.

Trump also said that several regional governments had contacted him to urge restraint, adding that Iranian officials had conveyed through intermediaries their willingness to stop hostilities if Israel did the same.

In a televised address, Netanyahu defended his government's actions, arguing that Israel had successfully eliminated what he described as an imminent Iranian nuclear threat and had significantly weakened both Iran and Hezbollah during a military campaign that spanned more than a year.

Netanyahu defended Israel’s recent military actions, saying Israeli forces targeted Hezbollah positions in Beirut in response to cross-border provocations from Lebanon, while also striking key military and economic sites inside Iran following Iranian attacks on Israeli territory.

The Israeli prime minister said Israel had temporarily suspended its operations because Iranian attacks had eased after the latest Israeli strikes. However, he warned that any renewed aggression from Tehran would be met with an “overwhelming force” response.