In a phone call on Thursday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the seriousness of the "hostile" statements against Israel by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his allies.
According to a written statement from Netanyahu's office, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining cooperation between their countries in various fields during the call, which took place as part of "regular contacts."
The statement said, "Netanyahu emphasized the seriousness of the statements made by President Erdoğan and his allies against Israel's existence and pointed to the need to establish security zones along Israel's borders."
Erdoğan has recently been harshly criticizing Israel's policies in the Middle East. Last Tuesday, he rejected as "disinformation" the claim that the sale of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets to Turkey would disrupt the power balance in the region.
U.S. maneuvers in the Gulf and Iran tensions
Meanwhile, Netanyahu's office announced that President Trump briefed the Israeli prime minister on U.S. military activity in the Gulf during the call. Citing a source, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that Israel is waiting for a "green light" from the U.S. president to participate in attacks on Iran.
The U.S. has been carrying out intermittent attacks on Iran over the past two days. Washington justifies these strikes as retaliation for Tehran targeting ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which is critical to global energy supplies.
Speaking on Thursday at the Hatserim Airbase near Beersheba, Netanyahu said that the war against Iran "is not over yet" and that new challenges are emerging alongside existing threats. "Israel is closely monitoring these developments and preparing for all scenarios," he added.
Meanwhile, Iran announced on Thursday that it had struck U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain for the second consecutive day. Uncertainty persists over the fate of U.S.-Iran negotiations.
