Trump Doubts Reports of Netanyahu's Oct. 7 Warnings, Praises Eisenkot

Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated he does not believe reports claiming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned by the UAE and Egypt about the October 7th attack. Trump also commented on the Israeli political scene, refusing to diminish Netanyahu's stature while not taking a stance on the election race. He drew parallels between attempts to sideline Netanyahu and similar efforts against him personally in the U.S.

When asked about potential cooperation with former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, a prominent rival to Netanyahu, Trump said he was unaware of Eisenkot but had not "heard anything bad" about him. Trump also addressed Iran, asserting that Tehran's economy is collapsing and that Iran desires a new deal with Washington. However, he insisted any new agreement must be "real and fully conditioned."

Trump rejected recent Iranian proposals for a ceasefire, stating that principles he refused a year ago would not be accepted now. Regarding maritime traffic, he dismissed an Iranian proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz as "simply not enough," emphasizing U.S. control over the strait and its closure to Iran. He alluded to the possibility of renewed or intensified airstrikes on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, reiterating his threat to "annihilate" Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons, calling its leaders "crazy."

Furthermore, Trump denied reports of shortages in the U.S. strategic ammunition stockpile, calling them false and asserting that the U.S. possesses vast quantities of weapons and distributes them effectively to allies. He concluded by linking global economic stability to a settlement with Tehran, predicting that oil prices would significantly decrease once a final deal is reached.