Washington, Jun 8: US President Donald Trump asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have “no choice” but to accept any agreement reached between Washington and Tehran, underlining what he described as his decisive role in shaping US policy toward Iran and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said he—not Netanyahu—was directing strategy regarding Iran and regional security.

“He won't have any choice,” Trump said. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn't call the shots.”

Remarks Come Amid Renewed Israel-Iran Tensions
Trump's comments came shortly after Iran reportedly launched a fresh barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel, marking one of the most serious violations of the fragile ceasefire that had been in place since April.

The renewed hostilities have raised concerns about a wider regional conflict and the future of ongoing diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran.

Despite the escalation, Trump indicated that he remained committed to pursuing negotiations with Tehran.

Trump Urges Restraint From Israel
According to reports, Trump separately told Fox News and Axios that he intended to urge Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran and instead continue pursuing diplomatic engagement.

Axios, citing a US official, reported that Trump told the Israeli leader to hold off military action because Washington was close to securing a breakthrough with Iran.

“We are close to doing something good in terms of a deal,” Trump reportedly told Netanyahu.

The report claimed Netanyahu expressed reservations but eventually agreed, at least temporarily, to refrain from immediate military action.

A US official quoted in the report said, “We think the president bought a little bit of time. He is pretty adamant that we are close to a deal with Iran.”

Iran Strikes ‘Won’t Affect’ Negotiations
Trump insisted that Iran's missile attacks would not derail the diplomatic process.

“It's not going to have any impact on the deal,” he said.

The President added that the future of any agreement would depend on its own merits rather than recent military developments.

“The deal may make it on its own merit, or not, but this will not have any effect on it,” Trump stated.

While expressing hope that negotiations would succeed, Trump appeared less confident than in previous weeks about the prospects of an immediate breakthrough.

“I think the deal is going on. We'll see what happens,” he said.

Military Option Still On The Table
Trump also indicated that military action remained an option if diplomacy failed.

Asked what would happen if negotiations collapsed, he suggested that Washington could consider additional military measures or continue exerting pressure through economic restrictions.

“It means one of two things,” Trump said. “Possibly we would go in and take care of the rest of the place that we didn't take care of militarily. Or it would just mean that we would keep the blockade on Iran.”

He argued that economic pressure had already proven highly effective against Tehran.

Also Read: ‘Thank You, Darling’: Trump Storms Out of Live Interview, Calls Anchor ‘Crooked’ and ‘Stupid’

Reports Of Earlier Heated Call With Netanyahu
The latest remarks come days after reports of a tense phone conversation between Trump and Netanyahu regarding Israel's military operations in the region.

According to media reports, Trump strongly criticised Netanyahu during the call and expressed concern that further escalation could undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts with Iran.

Trump later confirmed that the conversation had taken place but did not dispute reports describing it as unusually heated.