Trump: “If I Tell Netanyahu to Do Something, He Does It”

U.S. President Donald Trump said overnight, between Monday and Tuesday, that his country is expected to declare a “total victory” in Iran within two weeks. “We are negotiating now, they are ready to give us everything, and they are ready for there to be no nuclear weapons in Iran.”

Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance said in an interview with Fox News that “our central goal is to prevent nuclear weapons from Iran, and we have created space for a long-term deal on the issue.” Vance noted that “Israel can like it or not, but this is what is good for the U.S.” “Israel and the U.S. have many shared interests, but also conflicting interests,” Vance said, while referring to the president’s “pursuit” of a deal.

At the same time, Trump told BBC that “if I tell Netanyahu to do something, he does it.” He also said that all he had to tell Prime Minister Netanyahu in order to stop the strike was: “Think logically. We are about to sign a good and powerful agreement.” Even so, the American president claimed that Netanyahu had not “disobeyed him,” because by the time the two spoke, the missiles had already been launched from Israel and “there was nothing to do about it.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said in an interview with CNN that “sometimes between lovers there is a small quarrel, and the tension in the room and in the conversation can get a little heated.” However, Leiter noted that most of the time there is “enormous understanding” between Israel and the United States, which maintain close cooperation.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, confirmed that contacts between Washington and Tehran are still continuing and are being conducted through Pakistani mediation, with both sides continuing to exchange positions in an effort to reach a final version of an agreement. However, the chairman of the National Security Committee in the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, told CNN that unlike the U.S. president, he does not think an agreement is close. “If we could be convinced that there is sincerity among the Americans,” he said, taking a swipe at Trump, “and especially at the President of the United States, and if we could be sure that the Americans are abiding by the rules of negotiation, we would have no problem conducting such a negotiation.” When asked about the points of dispute in the talks, Azizi denied Trump’s remarks and said there was “no discussion” of the issues concerning nuclear weapons. At the same time, he outlined the Islamic Republic’s conditions for an agreement, emphasizing the economic and financial fields and the lifting of sanctions. He also mentioned the issue of Lebanon and said: “Under no circumstances will we give up the axis of resistance.”

On Sunday, before Israel carried out a strike in Iran, a series of frenetic talks and discussions took place among the Israeli and American leadership. During the marathon calls held by senior officials in Jerusalem with the political leadership in Washington, the prime minister spoke with the U.S. president, who delivered a clear message about the nature of the expected response, and told him: “Strike and close the event.” Israeli sources briefed on the content of the conversation clarified that the president meant Israel should act, but “not strike in a way that would lead to war.” The Americans understood that Israel was determined to respond, in contrast to the public messages Trump had issued before the conversation with the prime minister. As a result, Washington worked to limit the intensity of the damage and the scope of the Israeli operation.

Alongside this call, Netanyahu also held detailed talks with several other senior American officials, including the U.S. secretary of state and the secretary of defense. During the call with Secretary of State Rubio, the sides went into very significant detail regarding the nature of the planned strike.