The United States expects that Israel will not carry out an immediate retaliatory attack against Iran, according to a report by Axios. The report states that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially rejected former US President Donald Trump’s call to refrain from responding to Iran’s attack but later appeared to agree to hold back. The assessment was shared by a US official familiar with the phone conversation between the two leaders.

The official told Axios that President Trump believes the US is very close to reaching an agreement with Iran and that taking military action now could jeopardize that progress. He compared the situation to being in the final quarter of a game, suggesting that it would be unwise to risk a potential deal at this stage. The report indicates that the US administration views the current moment as critical for concluding months of diplomatic efforts.

If the diplomatic momentum continues, the report implies that immediate military escalation between Israel and Iran is unlikely in the near term.