Israel's Netanyahu thanks Trump for support, wishes him happy birthday
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent effusive birthday wishes to U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, praising him as a staunch ally as Israel continued to bombard its arch foe Iran.
There had been reports in the Israeli press of friction between the two men in recent weeks as Netanyahu threatened to attack Iran, even as the U.S. was in talks with Tehran to secure restrictions on its long-contested nuclear programme.
However, within hours of Israel launching its large-scale assault on Friday, Trump said the attacks were "excellent" and "very successful". Netanyahu responded on Saturday by showering the U.S. leader with praise.
'Happy Birthday to you, President Donald J. Trump,' Netanyahu said in a statement. "You've been an extraordinary leader, decisive, courageous, with a clear vision and clear action. You have done great things for Israel."
With Israeli warplanes attacking sites linked to Iran's atomic programme, Netanyahu framed the operation as part of a broader struggle between free societies and a 'criminal regime in Iran' that seeks to export violence across the world.
"Our enemy is your enemy and by doing what we're doing, we're dealing with something that will threaten all of us sooner or later. Our victory will be your victory," Netanyahu wrote.
Iran has repeatedly denied Western accusations that it has covertly sought to develop nuclear bombs and it has accused the U.S. of being complicit in Israel's attacks this week -- something Washington has rejected.
Netanyahu also extended birthday congratulations to the U.S. military on its 250th anniversary, calling American troops 'guardians of freedom for two and a half centuries'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
22 minutes ago
Israel-Iran live updates: Trump rejected Israeli plan to kill Iran's supreme leader, per US officials
The Israeli Police said Sunday there had been "multiple confirmed fatalities." 4:24 Aerial attacks between Israel and Iran continued overnight into Sunday, marking a third day of strikes following Israel's Friday attack. That surprise strike hit the heart of the Iran's nuclear program, killing several nuclear scientists as well as high-ranking military leaders, according to Israeli officials. The U.S. did not provide any military assistance or have any involvement in Israel's Friday strike, a U.S. official told ABC News. 60 Updates Jun 13, 2025, 1:06 PM EDT Delta cancels all flights from New York-JFK to Tel Aviv through August Delta Air lines has paused flights to Tel Aviv from New York-JFK through August 31 in response to the ongoing conflict in the region. "Customers impacted by flight cancellations will receive notifications via the Fly Delta app and contact information listed in their reservation as these cancellations are processed in Delta's system and may contact Delta or their travel agent for rebooking options," Delta airlines said in a statement. A travel waiver has been issued for all customers to and from Tel Aviv through Aug. 31. -ABC News' Sam Sweeney Jun 13, 2025, 12:45 PM EDT Israeli attacks in Iran are ongoing Israeli forces' attacks on Iran are ongoing, according to the Israel Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. "We are continuing with full force and at a high pace in order to meet the goals we have set for ourselves," Zamir said in a statement Friday evening local time. "We are continuing with the two main efforts we set for ourselves – the defensive effort and the offensive effort," Zamir said. "I remind everyone that we are facing a dangerous and complex enemy, and we must maintain a very high level of readiness." -ABC News' Jordana Miller Israel preparing for more possible Iranian retaliation, Netanyahu says The Israeli attack "created a state of chaos in Iran," but Israel needs to assume "there will be an attack against us," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement Friday evening local time. "It could be an attack in very severe waves," Netanyahu said, in a statement made in Hebrew. Israel is preparing for more potential Iranian retaliation, he said. "Citizens of Israel, you need to understand, do not be euphoric," Netanyahu said. "We informed the Americans in advance. They knew about the attack. What the U.S. will do now I leave to the president. Trump makes decisions independently," Netanyahu said. Netanyahu said he targeted Iran's nuclear facilities because "if Iran has nuclear weapons, we won't be able to be here, so that's the first target." Netanyahu said he gave his military the directive to attack Iran after former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Lebanon in September 2024. Netanyahu originally set the date of the attack for the end of April, but said it was "postponed" for "various reasons." Netanyahu said he wanted to attack Iran twice before but was unable to get a political majority to support the attack. -ABC News' Jordana Miller Jun 13, 2025, 12:17 PM EDT State Dept. warns of missiles, drones or rockets over Iraqi airspace The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is warning Americans of potential missiles, drones or rockets flying over Iraqi airspace, instructing them to "maintain maximum awareness" and seek cover in the event of an incident. This alert is similar to another the State Department pushed out earlier this morning warning embassy personnel to shelter in place, which has since been canceled. The department has also reissued an alert telling Americans not to travel to Iran, but Iran has long been a level 4 country -- meaning Americans should not travel there under any circumstances and the State Department has repeatedly stressed this well in advance of last night's strikes.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
University of Alabama appears set to name 30th president
The search for a new University of Alabama president appears to have reached a conclusion. According to an email from the UA System, the board of trustees will meet June 16 to consider the appointment of UA's new president. The email, sent June 15, says a special called meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the Catherine and Pettus Randall Welcome Center Theater on the UA campus. More: Search committee lists qualities University of Alabama's next president needs The agenda features one item — "consideration of appointment of 30th president at the University ofAlabama" — but does not include the name of the prospective new UA president. In January, current UA President Stuart Bell announced his plans to step down in mid-summer after leading the Tuscaloosa campus for 10 years. Shortly after Bell's announcement, the UA Presidential Search Advisory Committee was formed. The committee was led by University of Alabama System Trustee Karen P. Brooks, a Tuscaloosa native, and included UA faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members, along with other trustees and UA system leaders. Academic Search, a company with more than four decades' experience in higher education recruitment, was hired to help the search committee. The company also assisted UA in the of Bell and former president Robert E. Witt. The search committee held a series of listening sessions in late January and early February via Zoom, with more than 500 faculty, staff, students, alumni and Tuscaloosa community members participating. The goal of the listening sessions was to find out what kind of characteristics, qualifications and credentials they wanted to see in UA's next leader. In March, the search committee released 14 qualities desired in UA's next president, which included a record of significant leadership, sterling character and the ability to help guide a successful athletics program. Reach Ken Roberts at This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Search for new University of Alabama president set to conclude
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Manhunt intensifies in US after lawmaker killed, another wounded
Police and FBI agents waged a huge manhunt Sunday for a gunman who killed a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota in what officials called a politically motivated attack. As the search stretched into its second day, police appeared to close in on the shooter, finding a car described as related to him, but not the man himself. America reeled from its latest spasm of political violence as lawmakers called for a return to civility in political discourse that has been overheated and angry for years. Authorities searched for a man identified as Vance Boelter, 57, who also allegedly shot and wounded another lawmaker and his wife early Saturday in the northern state bordering Canada. Officials said Boelter impersonated a police officer as he came to the homes of these couples near Minneapolis and shot them, and that officers found a manifesto and a list of other lawmakers and potential targets in his car. Boelter fled on foot after exchanging gunfire with officers after the second shooting. On Sunday officers located another car related to Boelter in a rural area about a 90-minute drive west of Minneapolis, the Sibley County Sheriff's Office told AFP. Residents were warned of the find and agents are scouring the area, the office said without explaining how the vehicle is related to the suspect. Officials have issued security alerts in South Dakota and other states as the hunt proceeds, US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said Sunday as she mourned her slain friend, Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman. "I am concerned about all our political leaders, political organizations," she said. "It was politically motivated, and there clearly was some throughline with abortion because of the groups that were on the list, and other things that I've heard were in this manifesto. So that was one of his motivations." As speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to January 2025, Hortman was committed to legislation that protected reproductive rights in the state, local media reported. - 'Bring the tone down' - America is bitterly divided politically as President Donald Trump embarks on his second term and routinely insults his opponents. Political violence is becoming more and more common. Trump himself survived an assassination attempt last year. An assailant with a hammer attacked the husband of then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022. And Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home was set on fire this year. "We need to bring the tone down," Klobuchar said on CNN. US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, himself attacked by a neighbor in 2017, told NBC "nothing brings us together more than, you know, mourning for somebody else who's in political life, Republican or Democrats." On Saturday the FBI released a photo that appears to show Boelter wearing a mask as he stands outside the home of one of the lawmakers. It is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. The shootings came on the day a dramatic split screen showed America divided: hundreds of thousands of protesters across the country took to the streets to rally against Trump as the president presided over a big military parade in Washington -- a rare spectacle criticized as seeking to glorify him. Trump has condemned the killing of Hortman and her husband Mark and the wounding of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. In a conversation Sunday with ABC News, Trump was asked if he planned to call Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was Kamala Harris's running mate in the election Trump won last year. "Well, it's a terrible thing. I think he's a terrible governor. I think he's a grossly incompetent person," the president said. "But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too." bur/dw/mlm
