President Donald Trump said Thursday to Kan News that it is “very likely” he will support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming election, but added, “I need to see who is running. I have a good relationship with Bibi, but he needs to be more rational. I am willing to meet with him.” His remarks came after the Wall Street Journal reported new details about recent Trump-Netanyahu conversations, describing them as less friendly than before, against the backdrop of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.
According to one source familiar with a call between the two, Trump was angry with Netanyahu over the destruction in Lebanon and told him, “Why are you blowing up buildings? Stop blowing up buildings.” The newspaper also said Trump compared the war’s impact on the global economy to the Great Depression of the 1930s. In another instance, according to the report, Trump told aides that no one can handle Netanyahu and that he wanted to “bomb everyone.” In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said Netanyahu is great in his view, but “sometimes he goes too far.”
At the same time, Vice President J.D. Vance defended the emerging agreement with Iran in an interview with the New York Times, responding to Israeli criticism. “Israel is a country of nine million people. You cannot ‘kill your way out’ of every security problem you face,” he said. Vance said Washington is acting in the U.S. national interest and that differences sometimes exist between Washington and Jerusalem.
A few hours later, Trump posted on Truth, “The oil is flowing, and Iran will never get a nuclear weapon. You’re welcome!” Vance said the deal represents a deep strategic shift, unlike the Obama administration’s nuclear deal, because the U.S. is dealing with Iran at its weakest point. He said Iran’s nuclear facilities were destroyed and would take decades to rebuild without economic resources. He added, “This deal is not based on trust, but on dismantling capabilities. If they do not change their ways, they will not get the economic benefits they seek.” He rejected criticism from ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, while suggesting Netanyahu knows the details of the agreement and has not publicly opposed it. Vance said the U.S. is working for what is best for Americans, and said American pressure has created a new reality in which Tehran must negotiate like a normal state. He also noted that for the first time in 100 days, Iranian fire at ships in the Strait of Hormuz has stopped, which he said may mark the start of regional stabilization. “If this does not work, we can always change course, but for now we have the power and the ability to set the terms,” he said.
