U.S. President Donald Trump said he was going to call Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately and tell him not to strike back after Iran launched missiles toward Israel, Axios reported Sunday.
Trump told Axios that the Iranian strikes “didn’t hurt anybody” and said he hoped Israel would not retaliate.
“If Netanyahu strikes them back, it’s just gonna keep going like the last 47 years, or the last 3,000 years,” Trump said.
Trump also said the sides were “very close to a final deal” with Iran. “I don’t want it to blow up because of what is happening now,” he told Axios.
Trump also told Fox News that Iran had fired enough missiles and should return to negotiations.
“What I would suggest to Iran: You’ve shot your missiles, that’s enough,” Trump said. “Get back to the table and make a deal.”
Trump said Iran was “close to a deal,” and suggested an agreement had been expected within days before the missile fire.
“I would say a deal will be signed on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, and now this takes place,” he said.
Trump also said the U.S. military was on alert, as Washington sought to prevent the exchange of fire from escalating further.
Asked about Israel’s strike earlier Sunday on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, Trump said: “I’m not happy about it.”
His remarks came after Iran launched missiles toward Israel following the Israeli strike on Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s Dahieh district. Israeli officials said Tehran had threatened to respond to the strike, while Israel’s defense systems operated to intercept the launches.