Trump lashes out at Netanyahu after announcing Iran deal

After announcing an agreement with Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump used a late-night interview with The New York Times to sharply criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to argue that his diplomacy had protected Israel from a nuclear threat. Trump said the deal he reached with Tehran would keep the Strait of Hormuz fully open permanently and without transit fees, and he insisted the breakthrough had prevented Israel’s destruction by nuclear weapons.

Trump warned that if the Islamic Republic does not reach a final nuclear agreement with the United States, a process his advisers expect to begin on Friday in Switzerland, he is prepared to resume military strikes against Tehran. He also said that his decision to attack Iran at the end of February, together with the naval blockade he imposed on its ports after Tehran closed the strait, had shifted the regional balance in Washington’s favor.

The president said Netanyahu’s military moves nearly derailed the emerging deal. “He is a very difficult man,” Trump said of the Israeli leader, adding, “And frankly, he should say thank you very much for what we’ve done. Because if Iran had nuclear weapons, Israel would not survive two hours.”

Trump repeatedly compared his understanding with the 2015 nuclear accord reached under Barack Obama. He said his framework would stop Iran from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons, that talks are continuing, and that the current proposal being weighed would freeze Iran’s enrichment program for 20 years, though he hinted he might accept a 15-year freeze. In any case, he said, Iran’s enrichment would be permanently limited to low, non-military levels.