Netanyahu discusses possible resumption of attacks on Iran with Eisenkot: Israeli media

Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possible resumption of attacks on Iran with Gadi Eisenkot, who has been tasked with forming the next government, Israeli media reported Friday.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu held the meeting Thursday and sought to share intelligence on Iran with Eisenkot.

The broadcaster cited an “informed” source who said the intelligence “could change his view” of Netanyahu’s motives for resuming attacks.

Eisenkot was not aware that Mossad chief Roman Gofman was visiting Washington to discuss the issue, said Channel 12.

Read: US CENTCOM says it shot down two Iranian drones heading towards Bahrain

It did not indicate whether Eisenkot was deliberately kept uninformed about Gofman’s visit.

The meeting came amid a political transition in Israel after Netanyahu’s bloc lost its parliamentary majority in the October 27 elections and Eisenkot was tasked with forming a new government.

Eisenkot had warned Netanyahu against carrying out unnecessary military operations before a government is formed.

Military reservations about timing

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, meanwhile, reported that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir supports a military operation against Iran but does not believe the current timing is appropriate.

Zamir favours coordination with the US and choosing suitable timing and conditions for the operation, it said.

KAN cited an unnamed security source who said the Israeli army sees no immediate Iranian threat requiring a new attack and has warned against entering a prolonged war of attrition.

The source also ruled out renewing the war in the coming weeks.

Channel 12 previously reported disagreements between Netanyahu and Zamir over moves that could lead to a new confrontation with Iran, but Netanyahu’s office denied the report.

Mossad chief in Washington

Separately, the Haaretz newspaper reported Friday that Gofman met CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Washington and was expected to meet US envoy Steve Witkoff as part of Israeli efforts to secure Washington’s support for renewed attacks against Iran.

Channel 13 said Gofman would present intelligence concerning Iran’s nuclear program and development of long-range missiles, as well as Israeli claims that Tehran violated agreements with Washington.

There was no comment from the relevant US or Israeli authorities on details of the visit, according to Haaretz.

Netanyahu’s moves come amid Israeli concerns, according to media reports, that Washington and Tehran could reach an agreement that eases pressure on Iran without addressing its nuclear program or missile capabilities.

The developments coincide with concerns among parts of the Israeli opposition that military decisions made during the transition of power could affect the formation of the next government.

Trump does not want to resume war with Iran ‘for now’: report

US President Donald Trump does not want to resume the war with Iran “for now,” as his administration maintains economic and military pressure on Tehran, according to a media report on Friday.

Citing a US official, The Washington Post reported that Trump has received several daily intelligence briefings since the midterm elections.

“It’s become pretty clear that Trump does not want to go back to war for now,” the official said.

The report said the administration had settled on a middle path of no new war, no talks and no lasting peace as the conflict entered its eighth month.

Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he was done trying to reach a deal with Iran and had instructed Vice President JD Vance to focus on other issues.

“We’re just keeping it the status quo,” Trump told reporters Monday after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, rejected suggestions that the situation amounted to a stalemate.

“The pressure and the devastation that our economic campaign is having on the Iranian regime is working so well that the president really doesn’t have any need to conduct major combat operations,” Rubio said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Paris.

Rubio also described Iran’s demands as “absurd.”

Iran accuses US of aggression, warns of ‘decisive response’ to renewed attacks

Iran on Friday accused the US of waging an unlawful war of aggression against Tehran and warned of an “immediate and decisive response” to any renewed American or Israeli military attack.

Gholamhossein Darzi, Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

He accused Western countries of distorting the facts and ignoring the root causes of regional tensions.

Darzi said Iran participated in the meeting to clarify the origins of the situation, accusing some Security Council members, particularly Western representatives, of portraying “aggressors” as victims.

“We regret the positions taken by some Council members, particularly its Western members. Their statements reflect a familiar pattern of double standards and blatant hypocrisy,” he told the council.

Responding to remarks by the US representative, Darzi said Washington had no legal, political or moral standing to lecture or accuse Iran.

“The United States is the aggressor, not the victim,” he said.

He accused Washington of launching an unwarranted war against Iran in violation of the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.

‘Iran has never closed the door to diplomacy’

Darzi also accused the US of violating Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, bombing civilian infrastructure, threatening the Iranian population with annihilation and imposing a military and maritime blockade.

The Iranian diplomat insisted that no Security Council resolution could deprive a UN member state of its inherent right to defend itself against an armed attack.

“Let me reiterate: No Security Council resolution can deprive a member state of its inherent right of self-defence in the face of armed attack,” he said.

Darzi also rejected suggestions that Tehran was unwilling to pursue diplomatic solutions, stressing that Iran had not abandoned diplomacy.

“Iran has never closed the door to diplomacy,” he told the council.

However, he warned that any renewed military action by the US or Israel would draw an immediate response from Tehran.

“Let us be clear: any renewed war of aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime will be met with an immediate and decisive response, without hesitation, directed against the source of aggression wherever it may be,” he said.

US accuses Iran of threatening maritime security, demands accountability at UN

The US accused Iran on Friday of threatening international maritime security through attacks on commercial shipping and support for armed groups, urging the UN Security Council to hold Tehran accountable.

US envoy to the UN Jennifer Locetta made the remarks during a Security Council meeting on deteriorating maritime security in the Gulf, including threats to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and the Red Sea.

“We are here once again to discuss the aggressive behaviour by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Locetta said.

She accused Tehran of attacking neighbouring countries, firing on commercial vessels, supporting armed groups and defying Security Council decisions.

Locetta also accused Iran of “deliberately” undermining freedom of navigation.

“Iran ignores this Council. It ignores the overwhelming opinion of the international community,” she said.

The US envoy also accused Yemen’s Houthi group of escalating attacks against Saudi Arabia, including strikes targeting commercial vessels, airports and energy infrastructure using missiles and drones.

“The United States stands with our Gulf partners against Iranian efforts to undermine regional stability. We stand with Saudi Arabia against the Iranian-supported terrorist Houthis,” she told the Council.

Locetta urged Security Council members, including those who “have shielded” Iran and the Houthis, to support regional peace and stability and protect commercial shipping.