Trump Says 'Very Close To Final Deal With Iran', Urges Netanyahu To Prevent Further Escalation

Last Updated:June 08, 2026, 06:58 IST

Trump urged Netanyahu not to respond to Iran’s missile attack, warning retaliation could derail negotiations that he says are nearing a breakthrough.

US President Donald Trump said he believes Washington is on the verge of reaching a final agreement with Iran and warned against any Israeli retaliation following Tehran’s latest missile strikes, arguing that further escalation could jeopardise delicate negotiations.

According to Axios, Trump said he planned to personally call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urge restraint after Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday, the first such attack since an April ceasefire took hold in the region.

“I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate," Trump said in a telephonic interview, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

“Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike and Iran had its strike. We don’t need another one," Trump said.

Trump suggested that diplomacy was nearing a breakthrough and that a fresh cycle of military action could derail progress made in recent weeks.

“We are very close to a final deal with Iran. It is going to be a good deal. I don’t want it to blow up because of what is happening now," Trump said, according to the report.

The US President also sought to downplay the impact of Iran’s missile barrage, saying the attack had not caused significant harm and should not trigger a new round of hostilities.

“The Iranian strikes didn’t hurt anybody. Hopefully, Israel is not going to retaliate. If Bibi strikes them back, it’s just gonna keep going like the last 47 years, or the last 3,000 years," he said.

In a separate interview with Fox News, cited by AFP, Trump reiterated that negotiations were nearing completion.

“We’re very close. I would say an agreement would be signed on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week. And now this takes place," he said, referring to the Iranian missile attack.

He also urged Tehran to “get back to the table and make a deal."

TRUMP SAYS DEAL REMAINS ON TRACK

Trump’s comments echoed remarks he made to the Financial Times, where he insisted the latest strikes had not altered the trajectory of negotiations.

According to the newspaper, Trump said the attacks had not had “any impact on the deal."

“We’ll see how it ends up," he said. “It’s one of those things that’s been going for 3,000 years, or 47 years, depending on how you count."

The president also projected confidence about Washington’s leverage over regional developments. In the same interview, Trump said Netanyahu would ultimately have to accept any agreement reached by the United States with Iran.

“He won’t have any choice," Trump told the Financial Times. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots."

NO SANCTIONS RELIEF BEFORE AGREEMENT

Reuters reported that Trump, in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press," ruled out lifting sanctions or unfreezing Iranian assets before a peace agreement is finalised.

“Comes after," Trump said when asked whether such measures would be taken before a deal. “Yeah. If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking. Yeah."

He also underscored the stakes of the negotiations, telling NBC News: “We’re very close to a deal, or I’m going to blow the hell out of them."

Trump further said he was willing to speak with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

“I don’t want to say whether or not I know where he is, but there’s a good probability that I do," he said.

DEFENDING HIS APPROACH TO THE CONFLICT

In the NBC interview, excerpts of which were reported by the Associated Press, Trump also defended his handling of the conflict and rejected suggestions that military action against Iran contradicted his past campaign rhetoric about avoiding new wars.

“I don’t like these endless wars. This is not an endless war. We’ve been doing this for three months," Trump said.

He argued that the administration’s actions were aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, saying he was “doing the world a service" and “doing our country a service."

The latest exchange of fire has raised concerns about the durability of the April ceasefire and the future of negotiations. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards described Sunday’s missile attack as a “warning" following Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, while Trump also told Fox News he was “not happy about" the Israeli operation.

Despite the renewed tensions, Trump has repeatedly maintained that a deal with Tehran remains within reach and has urged both sides to avoid actions that could derail the negotiations at a critical stage.

About the Author

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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