President Trump told Fox News that Prime Minister Netanyahu should have discussed the Mount Pikaks nuclear facility in private rather than 'tell the world,' according to journalist Barak Ravid (N12). The comments came three hours before the two leaders' scheduled meeting in Washington, amid mounting tensions over the US-Iran deal and Israeli military operations.
President Donald Trump publicly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Fox News Tuesday, three hours before their scheduled meeting in Washington, according to journalist Barak Ravid (N12). Trump said Netanyahu should have discussed the Mount Pikaks nuclear facility in private rather than 'tell the world' about it, accusing the Israeli leader of trying to draw the US into a wider war with Iran.
The comments come amid a pattern of escalating friction between the two leaders. As The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday, White House sources described the Trump-Netanyahu meeting as 'very tense.' This follows weeks of public and private disagreements over Israeli military operations, the pace of the US-Iran nuclear deal, and the limits of Israeli action.
The Mount Pikaks facility has been a central point of contention. A Channel 14 report from July 14 noted that an Israeli delegation had pressed Washington on the site, and that Trump subsequently mentioned it publicly for the first time. Trump's latest remarks suggest he views Netanyahu's public advocacy on the issue as a breach of protocol.
The meeting itself, scheduled for Tuesday evening, is expected to be a critical test of the US-Israel relationship as the Trump administration nears a final nuclear agreement with Iran.
- StrongIsraeli delegation pressed Washington on Mount Pikaks, spurring Trump's public threat — Channel 14
- DevelopingTrump: 'I don't need Bibi to tell me about Mount Makosh' — threatens to take it down if no deal
- StrongWSJ: Israel believes Iran moved centrifuges to Mount Pikaks; Netanyahu urged Trump to strike
- DevelopingZioneer analysis: Trump threatens Mount Pikaks; only tactical nuke or ground op can destroy site
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