White House pushing diplomacy over escalation, Axios reports

US President Donald Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran to give diplomacy a chance, according to Axios, which cited a US official and an Israeli source.

The report said Trump told Netanyahu that the United States was close to reaching a favourable agreement with Tehran and asked him to remain patient.

According to Axios, Netanyahu initially objected but ultimately agreed to step back from immediate action. The report added that there were no indications of an imminent Israeli strike against Iran and that Trump believes negotiations have entered a critical final phase.

Sources quoted by Axios said the US president considers the current moment too important to risk jeopardising a potential agreement and believes the time has come to bring the Iran file to a conclusion after three months of intensive efforts.