In an interview with Axios, President Donald Trump described behind-the-scenes maneuvering during the war with Iran and delivered sharp remarks about both allies and rivals. Asked about his ties with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said, “Bibi is fine. But we had to keep him sane,” a comment Axios reporter Mark Caputo said suggested Netanyahu may have lost some composure amid the Iran talks and agreements.
Trump also boasted that he was able to control Israel’s military moves and said he worked to stop Israel from striking in Lebanon. When asked how he could enforce that, he replied that the Israelis would do what he ordered because “Israel loves me.”
Pressed on what lesson he had learned about the limits of American power, Trump answered, “There are no limits. I have not yet learned that lesson.” He also said the United States had “completely defeated them militarily through a hermetic naval blockade” and claimed that “the memorandum of understanding is effectively an unconditional surrender.”
