Netanyahu tells Trump Iran deal impossible, backs economic pressure
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he told US President Donald Trump that no diplomatic agreement is possible with Iran's leadership, whom he described as "savages", as he threw his support behind Trump's newly announced economic pressure campaign against Tehran. The comments, made at an event for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, underline Netanyahu's long-standing scepticism towards negotiating with Iran and come as tensions between the two countries remain high following military conflict earlier this year.
Netanyahu said the remarks were made during a White House meeting last month, and that he and Trump also discussed further military action, warning Iran would face a response "far stronger than anything they have suffered" if it attacked Israel again. He was speaking after Trump declared an "economic D-Day" against Iran, expanding sanctions targeting its technology, gold, aviation and shipping sectors. Netanyahu also revealed that Iran had attempted to kill one of his sons, reportedly Yair Netanyahu, though he gave no further details; this follows a February conflict in which Israel killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose son Mojtaba later succeeded him, and a subsequent ceasefire agreed in April amid US public opposition to the war.
- Netanyahu says no diplomatic deal possible with Iran's "savage" leadership
- Backs Trump's new sanctions campaign targeting Iran's economy
- Reveals Iran allegedly tried to kill his son Yair
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Iran’s government and Israel have been adversaries for decades, with disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme, regional influence and Israel’s security. The United States has been involved through diplomacy and sanctions, which restrict trade and financial dealings with Iran.
Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel’s prime minister, and Donald Trump is the US president. Iran’s supreme leader, now Mojtaba Khamenei, holds a central role in the country’s political system; Iran’s elected government also conducts diplomacy and manages day-to-day affairs.
Sanctions are limits on a country’s access to trade, finance or technology, intended to put pressure on its government. Israel, Iran and the United States have also faced the risks of military confrontation, making their decisions important for regional security and the possibility of renewed conflict.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Netanyahu and those who agree contend that Iran's government has repeatedly demonstrated through hostile actions and explicit threats that it cannot be trusted as a negotiating partner, making agreements inherently unreliable. They argue that economic pressure and military deterrence create real consequences for aggression, whereas negotiations without enforcement mechanisms risk emboldening further hostility. When an adversary's strategic interests fundamentally oppose your existence, credible military capability and economic pressure are the only reliable deterrents.
The case against
Those favouring diplomatic engagement argue that military pressure and economic sanctions, without negotiated off-ramps, historically escalate rather than resolve conflicts. They contend that even with hostile parties, diplomatic channels establish frameworks where peaceful coexistence can become preferable to continued conflict, reduce miscalculation risks, and eventually produce durable agreements. Economic pressure alone may entrench hardliners who refuse compromise, whereas negotiations allow both sides to perceive peace as serving their interests better than conflict.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Netanyahu tells Trump no diplomatic deal with Iranian ‘savages’ is possible”.