Key insights
- Trump rejected Netanyahu's call for joint encouragement of Iranian protests, citing safety concerns. This reveals differing US and Israeli views on regime change in Iran, with the US prioritizing de-escalation. The impact on US equities is slightly negative, as heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly involving Iran, can lead to increased uncertainty and potentially higher oil prices, indirectly affecting market sentiment.
Investing.com -- President Trump rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to jointly urge Iranians to protest their government, telling the Israeli leader last week that such a call would be too dangerous for civilians, according to a report from Axios, citing two U.S. officials and an Israeli source.
Trump told Netanyahu during their call that he opposed encouraging people to take to the streets where they could be killed, a U.S. official briefed on the conversation said.
The exchange revealed differences between the U.S. and Israel on regime change in Iran. While Netanyahu lists creating conditions for a popular uprising among Israel’s core objectives, U.S. officials say Trump views regime change as a bonus rather than a primary goal.
Netanyahu made his proposal after Israeli strikes last Tuesday killed Ali Larijani, Iran’s national security chief and de facto acting leader, and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij militia, along with several deputies. Israeli officials said killing Soleimani aimed to enable a popular uprising because he was responsible for crushing protests.
Netanyahu told Trump in their call that the Iranian regime was in disarray and presented an opportunity for further destabilization, a U.S. official and Israeli source said. Trump expressed concern that a public call for protests would result in mass casualties, noting that thousands of Iranian protesters were killed before the war.
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