Washington – In his interview with the “Pod Force One” podcast, US President Donald Trump discussed a recent call with Netanyahu about the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Asked whether he had called the longtime Israeli leader “effing crazy” and accused him of ingratitude, as previously reported by Axios, Trump said: “I did.” According to the Axios report, which cited an unidentified U.S. official, Trump said to Netanyahu in a call on Monday: “You’re fucking crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.” Trump said in the podcast interview: “At some point I said, ‘Bibi, we got to stop this. We got to stop it.’” Asked about Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s involvement in talks with the U.S. on ending hostilities, Trump said, “He’s involved, absolutely. … I think they have a lot of respect for him.”
Trump said he was hearing Iran’s leader was not doing too well but was giving his approval during the negotiations, adding he had not had “the privilege of meeting” Khamenei.
“I’d like to meet him. We probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out,” Trump said. Trump said he viewed the Iran war as a success because the country’s military had been defeated. The conflict has upended the global energy market and has proven unpopular with Americans months before November congressional elections. “Iran’s a big success,” Trump said in the interview. “We’ll see what happens. We’re going to, we’re working on a deal, and that happens fine. If it doesn’t happen, that’s OK too. We’ll do it the other way.” He did not specify what that might mean, but has said in the past that the U.S. would resume strikes.
Speaking on CNBC, the Israeli leader said Israeli and U.S. forces were ready to return to full-scale action in Iran, though he was leaving a decision on military escalation to Trump.
Netanyahu said opening the Strait of Hormuz militarily was possible.
He also said Iran had not agreed to get nuclear material out of the country but pressure was building.
