Trump rejects Netanyahu's plan to urge Iran protests, warns civilians ‘will get mowed down’: Report
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to encourage Iranian citizens to stage mass protests, citing fears that such a move would put civilian lives at risk.
The reported exchange underscores emerging differences between Washington and Tel Aviv over strategy in Iran, even as both sides continue to coordinate closely on military objectives following recent escalations in the region.
Trump rejects plan to publicly urge Iranians to take to the streets
According to a report by Axios, Netanyahu suggested during a recent call that the US should publicly urge Iranians to take to the streets in a bid to challenge the regime. Trump, however, pushed back on the idea, warning of the potential consequences for civilians.
“Why the hell should we tell people to take to the streets when they’ll just get mowed down,” Trump said to Netanyahu during their call, according to a US official briefed on the conversation.
The Axios report noted that while both leaders share similar military goals, they differ significantly on the question of regime change and the extent of instability acceptable to achieve it.
Strategy differences emerge between the US and Israel
Netanyahu has reportedly viewed fostering conditions for a popular uprising as a key strategic objective, aiming to weaken Iran’s leadership from within. In contrast, US officials cited in the report said Trump sees regime change as a secondary outcome rather than a primary goal.
These differences have led to multiple points of friction between the two leaders since the conflict intensified after a joint US-Israeli operation on February 28 targeting Iran’s military and political infrastructure over its nuclear enrichment program.
Trump has also expressed concern over Israel’s recent strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, signaling unease about the broader economic fallout. Such attacks have contributed to volatility in global energy markets, raising concerns about supply disruptions and price spikes.
Trump claims the US is 'winning big'
Despite the disagreements, Trump struck a confident tone while addressing the National Republican Congressional Committee fundraising dinner in Washington on Wednesday, March 25, highlighting what he described as both military and diplomatic gains.
“We settled eight wars and we are winning another one. We are winning big, nobody has seen anything like we are doing in the Middle East with Iran and they are negotiating,” the commander-in-chief claimed.
Trump also suggested that Iranian leaders are reluctant to openly engage in talks due to internal and external threats. “They want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people. They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us,” he added.
On the challenges within Iran’s leadership, the POTUS remarked, “There never been a head of country that wanted that job less than wanting to be head of Iran,” and claimed that officials privately avoid pursuing leadership roles.
The remarks come as the US continues to navigate a complex balance between military pressure and diplomatic signaling in its approach to Iran, amid ongoing tensions across the Middle East.
