President Donald Trump is set to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, putting Iran squarely back at the center of U.S. foreign policy just days after Trump’s high-profile trip to China.
The call comes as regional intelligence officials reportedly believe Tehran is pursuing a strategy of deception and delay, hoping to run out the clock on any return to military action.
Netanyahu confirmed Sunday morning that the conversation was planned, saying he expected to hear Trump’s impressions from Beijing.
Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. pic.twitter.com/7hYMIBoTZY
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 14, 2026
The White House post from May 14 laid down a clear marker: both the United States and China now publicly agree that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
It was a significant diplomatic alignment, and it did not happen by accident.
*TRUMP SAYS CHINA'S XI OFFERED TO HELP ON IRAN: FOX NEWS
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 14, 2026
Fox News reported that Trump is weighing whether to restart military action against Iran after Tehran rejected his demand to abandon its nuclear weapons aspirations.
President Trump was set for a Sunday call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while the Iran standoff moved back into the center of the news cycle.
Netanyahu said Sunday morning that he expected to speak with Trump, hear the president’s impressions from China, and discuss other matters. He added that Israel was prepared for every scenario.
The timing matters because the crisis still includes Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Strait of Hormuz, and the question of whether American military action could restart.
Two regional intelligence officials said Tehran appeared to be using deception and delay. Their assessment was that Iran hoped to stretch the crisis long enough to make any return to military action more difficult politically and operationally.
The pressure campaign is also being felt inside Iran. Early signs cited in the account included fuel shortages, rising prices, unemployment, and accelerating inflation.
That is the backdrop for the Trump-Netanyahu call. It is diplomacy, deterrence, and military possibility all moving at once.
ADVERTISEMENTFox placed the Sunday conversation inside a broader escalation question rather than treating it as a routine diplomatic check-in.
The report also described visible economic pain inside Iran from the U.S.-led blockade, including fuel shortages, rising prices, unemployment, and inflation.
The Strait of Hormuz crisis remains unresolved, adding another pressure point to an already volatile situation.
Netanyahu, speaking in Hebrew, said Israel was “prepared for every scenario” and that “there were many possibilities” on the table.
That kind of language from Jerusalem is never casual.
Trump’s Beijing trip produced something rare: a joint statement with Xi Jinping that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon.
Xi reportedly offered to help on Iran, a development that strips Tehran of its most important potential diplomatic shield.
If China is willing to stand alongside the United States on the nuclear question, Iran’s options narrow considerably.
The Sunday call between Trump and Netanyahu will be watched closely.
With the blockade squeezing Iran’s economy, China publicly aligned against Tehran’s nuclear program, and military action reportedly back under active consideration, the diplomatic runway for the regime is getting shorter by the day.
Iran’s strategy of delay only works if nobody is paying attention. Right now, everyone is.
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!