United States President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him “a very difficult guy” even as Washington announced the completion of a permanent peace deal with Iran.
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said Netanyahu should be grateful to the US for brokering the agreement. “To be honest with you, he should be very thankful to us for doing this,” Trump said, adding: “If Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours.”
Beirut strike nearly derailed the deal
The president had authorised the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade as Washington and Tehran moved to end nearly four months of war.
However, an Israeli airstrike on Beirut on Sunday came close to collapsing the agreement. Trump lashed out at Netanyahu over the strike, writing on Truth Social that it “should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a peace deal with Iran.”
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he confronted Netanyahu directly, reportedly asking: “What the f— are you doing?” — and told him to halt further strikes. He later told Axios the episode delayed the signing “by a few hours.”
Despite the sharp exchanges, Trump insisted Netanyahu was ultimately on board. “Bibi’s OK with it,” he said. “Why is it good for Bibi? Because Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon under any circumstances.”
Nuclear talks to follow, military action could resume
Trump also warned that military action could resume against Iran if negotiations for a final nuclear agreement break down. He said he would either restart attacks or make the US “the guardian of the Middle East” in exchange for 20 per cent of the region’s revenues.
In a statement, the secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently starting Monday night.
Israeli officials have voiced deep concern over the agreement, and those familiar with Netanyahu’s thinking say he opposes the deal and had pushed to return to fighting. Allies and critics alike have faulted him over what they describe as a weak deal and over Washington’s limits on Israeli operations in Lebanon.
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy welcomed the announcement in a joint statement, saying they were prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear and verifiable Iranian steps on its nuclear programme.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government mediated between the two sides, called the agreement “a historic step towards peace.” “Today, the world has seen a historic step towards peace. After the darkness of war, the sun of peace has risen,” he told Pakistani lawmakers.
The formal signing of the agreement is scheduled for Friday, June 19, in Geneva.
