Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu asked President Donald Trump to hold off on any military action against Iran, according to a report published by The New York Times.

The two leaders spoke by phone around midnight, as protests continued across Iran and U.S. officials weighed whether to move forward with a possible strike.

During the call, Netanyahu conveyed concern that Israel is not fully prepared for an Iranian retaliation if the United States were to launch an attack, and he therefore requested that Trump postpone any military operation.

Trump has said he was informed by what he described as reliable sources inside Iran that the regime had stopped executing protesters and halted violent crackdowns, a development that could suggest efforts to reduce tensions.

U.S. officials, however, emphasized that military action remains a viable option and that any final decision will depend on how events unfold.

The report also cited a diplomatic source in the Gulf who said that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt delivered messages to the Trump administration urging restraint, warning that an attack on Iran could trigger wider regional instability. Those same countries reportedly contacted Tehran, pressing it to avoid a military response if a strike were to occur.

Iran temporarily shut down its airspace to civilian traffic overnight before later reopening it.

Separately, reports indicated that the Pentagon scaled back its alert status at a U.S. Air Force base in Qatar and began returning troops who had previously been relocated amid concerns that a strike was imminent.

{Matzav.com}