
“Bibi’s Hair Went Up in Flames”: Report Details Tense Trump-Netanyahu Call Over Iran Proposal
A reportedly difficult phone conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu exposed sharp disagreements over a developing proposal aimed at ending the fighting with Iran and opening a new round of negotiations, according to a report Wednesday night by Barak Ravid on Channel 12 News.
At the center of the discussion was a new draft framework being advanced by several Arab and Muslim countries in an effort to broker a compromise formula between the United States and Iran that could prevent the war from reigniting. Three sources familiar with the conversation provided details of the exchange.
According to the report, Trump told Netanyahu that mediators are working on what he described as a “letter of intent” that both the United States and Iran would sign.
An American source familiar with the details of the call told Channel 12 that the proposed document could pave the way for ending the war and launching an additional 30 days of negotiations over issues including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran’s nuclear program.
Netanyahu, however, reportedly expressed deep skepticism about the initiative and argued that the United States should continue applying military pressure on Iran in order to further weaken the regime.
Two Israeli sources familiar with the contents of the call said the conversation was tense and that Trump and Netanyahu sharply disagreed over how to proceed regarding Iran.
The American source added that Israel’s ambassador in Washington later updated several members of Congress and indicated that Netanyahu emerged from the conversation deeply concerned about the developing negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Another senior American source who is also uneasy about the talks remarked, “Bibi’s hair went up in flames after that conversation with Trump.”
When Trump was asked Wednesday about his conversation with Netanyahu, he responded, “Netanyahu will do whatever I tell him to do regarding Iran.”
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the report. A spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy denied that Ambassador Yechiel Leiter told American lawmakers that Netanyahu had come away worried from the call. The White House also declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Qatar, along with mediators including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt, is continuing efforts to formulate an agreement between the United States and Iran.
According to two Arab officials and one Israeli source, Qatar recently presented both Washington and Tehran with a revised draft proposal intended to end the conflict.
A fourth source claimed the document was not an entirely separate Qatari initiative, but rather a Pakistani draft that the Qataris modified.
One Arab official said Qatar dispatched a delegation to Tehran in recent days to discuss the proposal, while Pakistan also reportedly sent representatives to the Iranian capital.
The goal of the initiative is said to be securing concessions from Iran on its nuclear program while creating a framework for the gradual release of frozen Iranian assets held overseas.
All three sources cautioned that it remains far from certain that Iran will agree to the proposal, raising questions about whether Netanyahu’s concerns are ultimately justified.
A senior Qatari official responded to the report by saying, “Qatar supports the mediation efforts being led by Pakistan. We continue to consistently support efforts to reduce escalation for the sake of the region and its people.”