Latest news with #TrumpNetanyahu
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Trump warned Netanyahu against striking Iran
By and WIRES Published: | Updated: President Donald Trump warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against taking any kind of action that could disrupt the Iran nuclear talks, the president revealed on Wednesday. 'Yes, I did,' he said when asked about in the Oval Office. Trump added that an agreement could come together 'over the next couple of weeks, if it happens.' The president's comments came as the head of the United Nations´ atomic watchdog said 'the jury is still out' on negotiations between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran's growing nuclear program. Iran and the U.S. so far have held five rounds of talks in both Muscat, Oman, and in Rome, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. A sixth round has yet to be set. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on a half-century of enmity. Iran said earlier Wednesday it may consider allowing US inspectors with the United Nations nuclear watchdog to inspect its facilities if a deal is reached with the United States. But Israel has repeatedly threatened military action against arch-enemy Iran and US media reports last week said Israel was making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear sites despite the ongoing US-Iran talks. Trump and Netanyahu spoke last week. The president has not ruled out military action but said he wants space to make a deal first -- and has also said that Israel, and not the United States -- would take the lead in any such strikes. Iran has long been accused by Western powers of seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting its nuclear program is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran´s program, if a deal isn't reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Trump warns Netanyahu against bombing Iran because he is 'very close' to nuclear deal with Ayatollah
President Donald Trump warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against taking any kind of action that could disrupt the Iran nuclear talks, the president revealed on Wednesday. 'Yes, I did,' he said when asked about in the Oval Office. 'I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we´re very close to a solution,' the president said. 'Now, that could change at any moment. It could change with a phone call. But right now, I think they want to make a deal. And, if we can make a deal, (it would) save a lot of lives.' Trump added that an agreement could come together 'over the next couple of weeks, if it happens.' The president's comments came as the head of the United Nations´ atomic watchdog said 'the jury is still out' on negotiations between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran's growing nuclear program. Iran and the U.S. so far have held five rounds of talks in both Muscat, Oman, and in Rome, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. A sixth round has yet to be set. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on a half-century of enmity. Iran said earlier Wednesday it may consider allowing US inspectors with the United Nations nuclear watchdog to inspect its facilities if a deal is reached with the United States. But Israel has repeatedly threatened military action against arch-enemy Iran and US media reports last week said Israel was making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear sites despite the ongoing US-Iran talks. Trump and Netanyahu spoke last week. The president has not ruled out military action but said he wants space to make a deal first -- and has also said that Israel, and not the United States -- would take the lead in any such strikes. Iran has long been accused by Western powers of seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting its nuclear program is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran´s program, if a deal isn´t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium. The president has described Iran as having an American proposal to reach a deal. However, Iran repeatedly has denied receiving such a proposal.
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Trump: ‘Yes, I did' tell Israel's Netanyahu to stand down on Iran strike amid nuke deal push
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he'd personally asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to conduct airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities because such attacks could negatively ongoing talks with Tehran towards a new deal to restrict the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons program. Asked to confirm reports that he'd intervened during a phone call with the Israeli leader last week, Trump replied: 'Well, I'd like to be honest. Yes, I did.' Pressed further on what he told Netanyahu, he said he did not think it was 'appropriate' for Israel to strike Iran while the talks are ongoing. 'We're having very good discussions with them. And I said, I don't think it's appropriate right now, because if we can settle it with a very strong document,' he said, adding that any agreement would be 'very strong with inspections.' Trump also said he doesn't trust the Iranians but stressed that the agreement wouldn't require trust because it would rely on verification by inspectors. ' I want it very strong, where we can go in with inspectors. We can take whatever we want, we can blow up whatever we want, but nobody getting killed. We can blow up a lab, but nobody's going to be in the lab, as opposed to everybody being in the lab and blowing it up,' he continued. The president added that he'd waved Netanyahu off an attack 'because we're very close to a solution now.' ' I think they want to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, save a lot of lives,' he said. The president's remarks, which came during a media availability following a swearing-in ceremony for interim District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, followed a round of talks between American and Iranian representatives under mediation by the government of Oman. After the most recent set of negotiations over the weekend, Trump told reporters traveling with him in New Jersey that U.S. officials had had 'some very, very good talks' with their Iranian counterparts. He repeated his assessment in the Oval Office on Wednesday, telling members of the White House press corps there that the U.S. was 'doing very well with Iran.' 'I think we're going to see some, some, something very sensible, because there [are] only two outcomes ... a smart outcome and there's a violent outcome,' he said. 'I don't think anybody wants to see the second but I think we've made a lot of progress, and we'll see. You know, they still have to agree to the final stages of a document, but I think you could be very well surprised what happens there, and it would be a great thing for them.'
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Trump confirms telling Israel's Netanyahu to stand down on Iran strike as he pushes nuke deal
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he'd personally asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to conduct airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities because such attacks could negatively ongoing talks with Tehran towards a new deal to restrict the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons program. Asked to confirm reports that he'd intervened during a phone call with the Israeli leader last week, Trump replied: 'Well, I'd like to be honest. Yes, I did.' Pressed further on what he told Netanyahu, he said he did not think it was 'appropriate' for Israel to strike Iran while the talks are ongoing. 'We're talking we're having very good discussions with them. And I said, I don't think it's appropriate right now, because if we can settle it with a very strong document,' he said, adding that any agreement would be 'very strong with inspections.' Trump also said he doesn't trust the Iranians but stressed that the agreement wouldn't require trust because it would rely on verification by inspectors. ' I want it very strong, where we can go in with inspectors. We can take whatever we want, we can blow up whatever we want, but nobody getting killed. We can blow up a lab, but nobody's going to be in the lab, as opposed to everybody being in the lab and blowing it up,' he continued. The president added that he'd waved Netanyahu off an attack 'because we're very close to a solution now.' ' I think they want to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, save a lot of lives,' he said.
News24
23-05-2025
- Politics
- News24
‘Supporters of Netanyahu are panicking' amid signs Trump support is cooling
The US is Israel's closest supporter. But there are signs the relationship between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu may be cooling. The US president reportedly resented what he saw as a lack of gratitude. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has often tried to paint himself as a close friend of US President Donald Trump, but the relationship has rarely been as straightforward as the Israeli premier has portrayed it. And recently, speculation across the Israeli media that the relationship between the two leaders, and by extension, their countries, has begun to unravel is becoming unavoidable. Some idea of the gap was apparent in Trump's recent Middle East trip, which saw him visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates but not Israel, the state that has typically been the US' closest ally within the region. Likewise, US negotiations with two of Israel's fiercest regional opponents, Iran and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, have been taking place without any apparent input from Israel, a country that has always regarded itself as central to such matters. Lastly, against a growing chorus of international condemnation over Israel's actions in Gaza, there was the decision of US Vice President JD Vance to cancel a planned visit to Israel for apparently 'logistical' reasons. READ | Trump condemns 'horrible DC killings' after Israel staffers killed, man arrested Appearing on national television earlier this month, Israeli commentator Dana Fahn Luzon put it succinctly: 'Trump is signalling to Netanyahu: 'Honey, I've had enough of you.'' 'We're seeing a total breakdown of everything that might be of benefit to Israel,' Mitchell Barak, an Israeli pollster and former political aide to several senior Israeli political figures, including Netanyahu, told Al Jazeera. 'America was once our closest ally; now we don't seem to have a seat at the table. This should be of concern to every single Israeli.' 'Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for this,' Barak continued. 'He always presented Trump as somehow being in his pocket, and it's pretty clear Trump didn't like that. Netanyahu crossed a line.' Saul Loeb/AFP While concern over a potential rift may be growing within Israel, prominent voices in the US administration are stressing the strength of their alliance. Last Sunday, Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said that, while the US was keen to avert what he called a 'humanitarian crisis' in Gaza, he didn't think there was 'any daylight between President Trump's position and Prime Minister Netanyahu's position'. Also doubling down on the US' commitment to Israel was White House National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt, who dismissed reports that the Trump administration was preparing to 'abandon' Israel if it continues with its war on Gaza, telling Israeli media that 'Israel has had no better friend in its history than President Trump.' The Trump administration has also been active in shutting down criticism of Israel's war on Gaza in public spheres and specifically on US college campuses. AFP Several international students have also been arrested and deported for their support of Palestine, including Rumeysa Ozturk, whose arrest as she was walking on a street in a Boston suburb for an opinion piece co-authored in a student newspaper was described by Human Rights Watch as 'chilling'. Those policies have made it clear that the Trump administration sits firmly in Israel's corner. And looking back at Trump's policies in his first presidential term, that is not surprising. Trump fulfilled many of the Israeli right's dreams in that term, between 2017 and 2021, including recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite its eastern half being occupied Palestinian territory, recognising the annexation of the Golan Heights, despite it being occupied Syrian territory, and pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. But those actions are partly to blame for the bumpy relationship between Trump and Netanyahu, with the US president reportedly resentful of what he saw as a lack of gratitude for those pro-Israel policies. Trump was also furious after Netanyahu congratulated former US president Joe Biden following his 2020 election victory over Trump, which the current president still disputes. 'The first person that congratulated [Biden] was Bibi [Benjamin] Netanyahu, the man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with. … Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake,' Trump said in an interview in 2021. John Wessels/AFP Nevertheless, in the build-up to the 2024 US election, Netanyahu and his allies actively courted candidate Trump, believing him to be the best means of fulfilling their agenda and continuing their war on Gaza, analysts said. 'Netanyahu had really campaigned for Trump before the election, emphasising how bad Biden was,' Yossi Mekelberg, an Associate Fellow at Chatham House, said. 'Now they don't know which way Trump's going to go because he's so contractual. He's all about the win,' Mekelberg added, referring to the series of victories the president claimed during his recent Gulf tour, adding, 'but there's no win in Palestine'. Across the Israeli press and media, a consensus is taking hold that Trump has simply tired of trying to secure a 'win' or an end to the war on Gaza that Netanyahu and his allies on the Israeli hard right have no interest in pursuing. Israeli Army Radio has even carried reports that Trump has blocked direct contact from Netanyahu over concerns that the Israeli prime minister may be trying to manipulate him. Quoting an unnamed Israeli official, Yanir Cozin, a reporter with Israeli Army Radio, wrote on X: 'There's nothing Trump hates more than being portrayed as a sucker and someone being played, so he decided to cut off contact.' 'There's a sense in Israel that Trump's turned on Netanyahu,' political analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg said from Tel Aviv. 'Supporters of Netanyahu are panicking, as they all previously thought that Trump's backing was unlimited.' A break in relations between Netanyahu and Trump might not mean an automatic break between Israel and the US, Flaschenberg cautioned, with all factions across the Israeli political spectrum speculating on what the future may hold under a realigned relationship with the US. US financial, military and diplomatic support for Israel has been a bedrock of both countries' foreign policy for decades, Mekelberg said. Moreover, whatever Trump's current misgivings about his relationship with Netanyahu, support for Israel, while diminishing, remains hardwired into much of his Republican base, analysts and polls have noted, and particularly among Republican - and Democratic - donors. 'Those opposed to Netanyahu and the war are hoping that the US may now apply a lasting ceasefire,' Flaschenberg said, with reference to Israeli reliance upon US patronage. 'That's not because of any great faith in Trump, but more the extent of their dismay in the current government.' However, equally present are those on the hard right, such as Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who Mekelberg speculated may also hope to take advantage of whatever direction US policy toward Israel heads. 'Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and their backers could take advantage of American disinterest, depending upon what shape it takes,' Mekelberg told Al Jazeera. 'If the US continues to provide weapons and diplomatic cover in the UN while letting [Israel] get on with it, then that's their dream,' he said of Smotrich, who has reassured his backers that allowing minimal aid into the besieged enclave did not mean that Israel would stop 'destroying everything that's left of the Gaza Strip'. However, where Netanyahu may figure in this is uncertain. Accusations that the Israeli prime minister has become reliant upon the war to sustain the political coalition he needs to remain in office and avoid both a legal reckoning in his corruption trial, as well as a political reckoning over his government's failures ahead of the 7 October 2023 attack, are both widespread and longstanding. 'I don't know if Netanyahu can come back from this,' Barak said, still uncertain about whether the prime minister can demonstrate his survival skills once again. 'There's a lot of talk about Netanyahu being at the end of his line. I don't know. They've been saying that for years, and he's still here. They were saying that when I was his aide, but I can't see any more magic tricks that are available to him.'
