According to Israeli media reports on the 18th, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, after a phone call with U.S. President Trump the previous day, has convened the security cabinet for two consecutive nights to prepare for the possibility of renewed Israeli-American military action against Iran.
According to i24 News and The Times of Israel, Netanyahu called a small group of senior officials and aides for security consultations for the second time in less than 24 hours, to assess the current situation and possible options. An Israeli official said: “Given that the fighting may resume before the end of this week, the situation is highly tense.”
Sources told i24 News that when Trump spoke to Netanyahu by phone on the 17th, the two sides did not reach a clear consensus on how to proceed next. The U.S. and Israel are preparing for all scenarios and maintaining close coordination.
Regardless, on the 18th, U.S. President Trump posted on social media that, at the request of the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, he had ordered the postponement of the previously planned military strike against Iran scheduled for the 19th. According to The Times of Israel, Trump later said at a White House event that he had informed the Israeli side of this decision in advance.