Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking clarity from the White House after learning the Trump administration might be receiving messages from Iranian officials as the conflict continues.
Israeli intelligence obtained information earlier this week that raised suspicions about possible contacts between Iran and the Trump administration to discuss a ceasefire, Axios reported Wednesday, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.
Operatives from Iran's Ministry of Intelligence reached out to the CIA through intermediaries with an offer to discuss terms for ending the conflict, The New York Times also reported Wednesday, citing officials briefed on the outreach.
Netanyahu's call indicates Israel is concerned the U.S. could pursue a ceasefire before Israel achieves its war objectives. On Monday, Netanyahu called White House officials and asked whether any such talks or message exchanges had occurred, according to Axios.
"The White House told Bibi that the Trump administration wasn't talking to the Iranians behind his back," one source said.
A U.S. official told Axios that special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, speak almost every day with Netanyahu, as well as Mossad Chief David Barnea and other Israeli officials.
Coordination between the U.S. and Israel over the past month has been very close, the official said.
"They know we are not talking to the Iranians," the American official said.
A U.S. official and another source with knowledge told Axios that Iranian officials sent messages to the Trump administration over the past several days through countries in the Gulf and other regional intermediaries. The U.S. did not respond.
"We treated these messages as [expletive],” the official said.
A senior White House official told Newsmax that any potential discussions would likely involve future Iranian leadership rather than the current regime described in the reports.
"President Trump said new potential leadership in Iran has indicated they want to talk and eventually he will talk," the official said. "For now, Operation Epic Fury continues unabated."
A U.S. official told reporters Tuesday that Witkoff and Kushner" haven't had any conversation” with Ali Larijani, Iran's top security official, or Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi "or anyone else in the Iranian regime since the war started," according to Axios.
Trump also ruled out any talks with the Iranian regime Tuesday in a post on Truth Social.
"Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone,” he wrote. "They want to talk. I said, 'Too Late!'"
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.