US President Donald Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in "an exceptionally firm and direct way" about his objections to the Israeli strike on Iran, a White House source said, Axios reports.

"The president told Netanyahu what needed to happen to sustain the ceasefire [with Iran]. The prime minister understood the severity of the situation and the concerns President Trump expressed," the source said.

The prime minister's office said in a statement that during the call Trump "expressed his deep appreciation for Israel — which achieved all of the war's objectives. He also expressed his confidence in the stability of the ceasefire."