Netanyahu urges Trump daily to strike Iran; diplomacy opens
The prime minister pushes for military action while the US president signals a 'good chance' for a deal and Arab leaders work to end the war.
Netanyahu urges Trump daily to strike Iran; diplomacy opens — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls US President Donald Trump on a daily basis and urges him to strike Iran, according to a report.[^1] The revelation comes as Trump told reporters there is a 'good chance' a resolution can be reached with Tehran, and that militarily the war is 'effectively over.'[^2][^3] The gap between the Israeli leader's private pressure and the American president's public optimism is stark — and it is widening. Arab and Muslim leaders from around the world are simultaneously trying to promote an end to the war.[^1] Their efforts run parallel to a new diplomatic track: the Trump administration has for the first time agreed to allow Iran to enrich uranium on its soil to a level of 3.67%, a concession that no one in Israel believes will change Tehran's stance on the nuclear issue or ballistic missiles. Iranian security council chief Mohsen Rezaei denied any talks, accusing the US of 'manufacturing fake news,' and called Trump's remarks about negotiations 'delusional.' Trump's own Peace Council sharply criticized the Israeli government following heavy floods in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas reported about 70,000 tents flooded within 12 hours and the Civil Defense received 2,166 distress calls but responded to only 218.[^6][^4] The council demanded that Hamas lay down its arms alongside its criticism of Israel, a dual pressure that reflects the administration's attempt to balance competing demands.[^6] The question now is whether Netanyahu's daily calls can shift Trump's trajectory — or whether the president's preference for a deal will override the prime minister's push for escalation. Philadelphia counterprotesters outnumber anti-Israel bike rally 5-to-1 — A planned anti-Israel bike boycott of Jewish-owned businesses in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square on Sunday was met with a massive counter-protest.[^1] Police estimated 200 bikers would participate. The event ended with over 1,000 people, Jews and non-Jews, telling the bikers to take a hike.[^1] The ride, organized by Philly Bike On Your Left, targeted six businesses labeled as 'Zionist Establishments.'[^1] Huda co-founder D