Trump, Netanyahu Hold Call as US Prepares to Resume Iran Airstrikes

President Donald Trump held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the US prepares to resume military operations against Iran.

The Wall Street Journal reported on November 31 that Trump and Netanyahu discussed the situation in the Middle East in a call earlier that morning. The conversation came as the US reviews whether to restart airstrikes on Iran.

Trump had earlier met with top US military commanders at the White House to discuss options for resuming a large-scale military operation against Iran, the report said. The timing of any attack and the scope of the operation were not disclosed.

The call came as the political burden of a war with Iran grows ahead of the US midterm elections. Rising fuel prices tied to the conflict in the Middle East are hurting voter support for Republicans and dampening turnout enthusiasm.

Trump is focused on driving turnout among Republican supporters ahead of the midterms. Whether the US resumes military operations against Iran is emerging as a key variable in assessing Washington's Middle East policy after the election.

Israel is also facing continued political uncertainty after its recent general election failed to produce a clear winner. Parties opposed to Netanyahu had hoped for a decisive victory, but neither side is projected to win the majority needed to form a coalition government.

As a result, talks to form Israel's next government could continue for weeks or months. Uncertainty in the Middle East is persisting as a renewed US move to strike Iran overlaps with Israel's political deadlock.