President Donald Trump said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should thank the United States for reaching a deal with Iran, in an interview with the New York Times published early Monday. Trump called Netanyahu 'a very difficult guy' and stated that without American action against Iran's nuclear program, 'Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours.'
In a New York Times interview published at 02:52 Jerusalem Monday, President Donald Trump escalated his public criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the prime minister owes the United States gratitude for reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran. Trump called Netanyahu 'a very difficult guy' and argued that without American action against Iran's nuclear program, 'Israel wouldn't be around for two hours.' The remarks are the latest in a rapid sequence of public statements from the president targeting the prime minister overnight.
The thread began at 02:22 Jerusalem Monday, when The Zioneer first reported, citing Israeli media, that Trump had called Netanyahu a 'big disappointment' and claimed Israel would not have lasted two hours against a nuclear-armed Iran. At 02:22, a separate report attributed to Israel Hayom quoted Trump calling Netanyahu 'a very difficult person' and saying Israel should be 'very grateful' to the US. A third report at 02:22, credited to N12, stated Trump said Israeli strikes nearly caused the Iran deal to collapse and again called Netanyahu 'a very difficult person.' The New York Times interview published at 02:52 Jerusalem is the direct source of the latest quotes, which were also carried by The Jerusalem Post. The Zioneer covered the earlier reports at 02:43 and 02:47 Jerusalem.
The president's comments come against the backdrop of an accelerating U.S.-Iran diplomatic track. As The Zioneer reported at 00:07 Monday, Trump told Netanyahu he is determined to finalize an agreement with Iran, as Qatar pressed Tehran to sign. A senior Israeli official told The Zioneer on Friday that Netanyahu expressed understanding of Trump's efforts but insisted Israel must not be left exposed. The president's latest remarks frame Israeli resistance as unjustified given what he portrays as American protection of Israel's security.
It remains open whether Netanyahu's office will issue a formal response to this specific interview. The prime minister has not yet reacted to the series of Trump statements that began at 02:22 Jerusalem.
5 developments
- ConfirmedTrump tells Netanyahu US and Iran days from nuclear deal breakthrough, NYT reports
- DevelopingTrump boasts that a nuclear-armed Iran would have destroyed Israel within two hours
- StrongTrump attacks Netanyahu, confirms lifting of US blockade on Iran 'immediately'
- DevelopingTrump says Netanyahu is a 'very tough man'; Iran claims ceasefire includes Lebanon
Source and signal
- Internal intake