A recorded phone call between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, described by sources as ‘incredibly reckless’ and ‘beyond the pale’, has surfaced in London this morning. The transcript, obtained by this outlet from a former White House official, shows the two leaders mocking the British-led diplomatic push to revive the Iran nuclear deal.
On the tape, Trump is heard calling the British foreign secretary ‘a lightweight’ and boasting that he could ‘knock the whole thing over with one tweet’. Netanyahu reportedly laughs and refers to the ongoing negotiations in Vienna as ‘a circus’. The call, made three weeks ago, was intercepted by a foreign intelligence service and later passed to a UK-based whistleblower.
Sources inside the Foreign Office confirm the leak is ‘extremely damaging’ and could ‘fatally undermine’ confidence in the UK’s role as a neutral broker. The talks, which have been progressing slowly for months, were already fragile after Tehran’s latest enrichment demands. Now, with this evidence of back-channel sabotage, both Iran and the European signatories are questioning Britain’s ability to deliver.
One senior diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me: ‘We have been stabbed in the back by our closest ally. The Americans and Israelis are playing their own game, and they don’t care about the consequences.’
The White House has refused to comment on the recording’s authenticity. A spokesman for Netanyahu dismissed it as ‘fabricated propaganda’. But our source, who provided a sworn affidavit, insists the voice recognition is a match.
The British prime minister is reportedly ‘furious’ and has demanded an emergency meeting with the US ambassador. Meanwhile, in Tehran, hardliners are already calling for a halt to negotiations. One Iranian official posted on social media: ‘This is what they really think of us. Why should we trust them?’
If the talks collapse, the region could spiral into a new crisis. Iran is closer than ever to weapons-grade uranium. And the UK, once the honest broker, is now caught between its American ally and its European partners.
I have seen the transcript. It is damning. And it is only a matter of time before someone in Washington or Tel Aviv is forced to answer for it.
