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US President Donald Trump is planning a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, a senior White House official said, Reuters reports.
The main topic is expected to be the situation around Iran’s nuclear programme. According to a source close to Netanyahu, the discussion will also touch on security coordination, particularly in the context of recent attacks on Israeli diplomats in Washington.
“This is not the time to escalate the situation while I’m trying to reach a diplomatic solution,” Trump allegedly said during a previous conversation in May, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The US president reiterated that he wants to keep the channel of negotiations with Iran open and urged Netanyahu not to take steps that could hinder this strategy.
“The second option is still on the table, but I prefer diplomacy first,” the White House quoted the administration official as saying.
After the phone call, Netanyahu plans to hold a separate security meeting on Iran and US-Israeli coordination in the region.
