President Donald Trump briefed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on American moves in the Persian Gulf late Thursday, adding a direct U.S.-Israel coordination angle to the renewed Iran crisis even as Washington says technical talks with Tehran are still continuing.
The new development is not another strike claim. It is the timing of the call: after two days of U.S.-Iran fire around the Strait of Hormuz, after Israel warned it could strike Iran again, and after U.S. officials tried to keep the diplomatic track alive.
CBS News reported that Trump spoke with Netanyahu on Thursday, citing Netanyahu’s office and a White House official. Netanyahu’s office said Trump updated him on “American moves in the Gulf” and discussed continued coordination between the two countries. CBS said the White House confirmed the call but did not provide details.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Netanyahu’s office described the call as part of ongoing U.S.-Israel coordination and said Trump updated Netanyahu on current American moves in the Gulf and U.S. attacks against Iranian assets.
Why The Call Matters
The call lands just after the United States and Iran traded new attacks that shook a fragile ceasefire framework. CBS News reported that a U.S. official said Trump views Iranian strikes on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz as acts of terrorism. The same official said the ceasefire is performance-based and that Iran had failed at an unacceptable level.
That matters because the U.S. is trying to send two messages at once. It is threatening and carrying out military action when Iran attacks shipping, but it is also saying a channel to Tehran remains open.
Al Jazeera reported Friday that the guns had fallen silent after two days of deadly strikes while mediating nations tried to get diplomacy back on track. It also reported that a U.S. official said Washington remains committed to negotiations and that technical talks continue.
Israel Is Still In The Frame
The call also follows Israel’s own escalation warning. Earlier Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was ready to resume military action against Iran “with even greater force” if needed, while Netanyahu said the campaign against Iran was not over.
The Jerusalem Post reported that, despite the call, Israel is not expected to join the current U.S.-Iran bout of fighting, though Israeli military officials said they were ready for any eventuality. That makes the coordination line important: Israel may not be entering this round directly, but it is being briefed as U.S. operations continue.
The Associated Press, published by Local 10, reported that Trump and Netanyahu spoke about U.S. moves in the Persian Gulf after the United States launched new airstrikes against Iran and Iran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Kuwait and Qatar. AP also noted that mediators are trying to save the interim deal as Trump’s mixed signals fuel uncertainty about what comes next.
Hormuz Remains The Pressure Point
The Strait of Hormuz remains the center of the crisis. CBS News reported that U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces have helped more than 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil transit the strait since early May. CENTCOM also repeated that Iran does not control the waterway.
But shipping confidence is still badly damaged. CBS News cited Lloyd’s List and Kpler data showing traffic through the strait had fallen sharply after this week’s exchange, with analysts warning that shipping will stay volatile without a substantial U.S.-Iran agreement.
That is the real signal behind the Trump-Netanyahu call. The U.S. is keeping Israel closely briefed while trying to pressure Iran over Hormuz, keep commercial shipping moving, and preserve just enough diplomacy to avoid a full return to open war.
For now, there is no public indication that Israel has launched a new strike or that the call produced a new U.S. order. The significance is coordination: Trump updated Netanyahu on American Gulf moves at the same moment Washington is denying some fresh strike claims, defending earlier operations, and telling mediators the talks are not dead.
Sources: CBS News; The Jerusalem Post; Al Jazeera; Associated Press via Local 10.