Washington, DC [US], November 13 : As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes the Trump administration to resume military action against Iran, one of his closest confidants and a top Israeli spy agency Mossad official is holding high-stakes talks in Washington and Miami with senior US officials.
According to Axios, Roman Gofman, a top confidant of Netanyahu and a director within Mossad, is visiting Washington on Friday to meet with senior US President Donald Trump administration officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, regarding the war in Iran.
As detailed by Axios, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been pressing President Trump to resume military action against Iran.
However, Trump has so far resisted this pressure, choosing instead to align with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and other Gulf nations to maintain a naval blockade and economic pressure campaign while exploring the possibility of a deal.
Quoted by Axios, President Trump stated on Thursday, "I could end it immediately. At the request of the nations that I'm looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a little bit more civilly."
Trump added, "Saudi Arabia has asked me to please just let it be the way it is now for a while, because [Iran is] disintegrating. Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, all of them would much prefer the waiting period."
On the other hand, Iran warned countries against providing military or logistical assistance to the United States for its operations against Tehran, saying any such support would be considered a hostile act and make the countries concerned responsible for aggression against the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei issued the warning in a post on X, invoking international law and the United Nations Charter to caution governments against becoming involved in the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
“A sparrow that tries to fly after a stork will eventually break its legs (Korean proverb),” Baghaei said, warning countries against supporting Washington's military actions.
He said, “Any direct or indirect involvement in acts of aggression or in inhumane economic terrorism against Iran - including the deployment of naval forces, military and logistical support equipment, and personnel - will be regarded as a hostile and unlawful act amounting to participation in the US aggression against Iran. Such actions not only violate Article 2 (4) of the Charter of the United Nations but also fall within the definition of an act of aggression set out in UN General Assembly Resolution 3314.”
Rejecting possible justifications for such assistance, Baghaei said, “Invoking seemingly legitimate pretexts such as “protecting freedom of navigation” or “countering piracy” does not alter the unlawful and hostile nature of such actions.”
“Our message is unequivocal: No bilateral agreement or commitment with the United States can constitute legitimate grounds for violating a state’s obligations under international law or for participating in the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran,” he said.
Baghaei further added, “Any state that may participate in such unlawful aggressions, in whatever form, shall bear full responsibility for the resulting repercussions.”
The developments come at a time of political uncertainty for Netanyahu, following the October 27 general election, which failed to deliver a clear majority to the incumbent Prime Minister's camp.
Gadi Eisenkot emerged with the highest number of seats, although no political party secured an outright majority. Israeli President Isaac Herzog subsequently invited Eisenkot on Sunday to form the next government.
Eisenkot has been given 28 days to explore possible political arrangements and attempt to put together a minority government, adding another layer of uncertainty to Israel's political landscape.