Media: US president backs Netanyahu’s hardline stance on Iran

US President Donald Trump has publicly encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to persist with his campaign against Iran, amid escalating tensions in the region.

“I said: Keep going,” Trump said when asked about the message he conveyed to Netanyahu. “I speak to him every day. He’s a good man, doing a lot,” Caliber.Az reports via CNN.

The US president’s latest conversation with Netanyahu took place just yesterday, as Trump weighs the possibility of increasing US involvement in Israel’s efforts against Iran. 

Trump also expressed sympathy for Netanyahu, stating that the Israeli leader “has been very unfairly treated by his country,” a likely reference to Netanyahu’s ongoing legal issues.

When asked if he had signaled any plans to offer additional support to Israel beyond current aid, Trump responded, “No. So far, he’s done a good job. He has been treated very unfairly.”

Calling Netanyahu “a wartime president,” Trump added, “He’s going through this nonsense, it’s ridiculous.” Trump also indicated that it is still undecided whether he will authorise military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities amid growing tensions between Israel and Iran. 

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said he has not ruled out targeting Iranian nuclear sites but hinted that “the next week is going to be very big.”

He also highlighted the difficulties Tehran faces as it attempts to resume negotiations. “Yes, I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this that Iran's got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate,” Trump said. “And I said, why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction? Why didn't you go? I said to people, why didn't you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country. It's very sad to watch this.”

Trump has long expressed concern that Iran was close to acquiring nuclear weapons and has consistently pushed for a nuclear deal. Although talks between the US and Iran were planned to be held in Oman, Iran withdrew from the discussions. 

Moreover, Trump reiterated his firm position against allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. “This is just not a threat you can have. And we've been threatened by Iran for many years,” he said. “You know, if you go back and look at my history, if you go back 15 years, I was saying we cannot let Iran get a nuclear weapon. I've been saying it for a long time.” He also said he has delivered what he called the “ultimate ultimatum” to Iran. “Maybe you could call it the ultimate — the ultimate ultimatum, right?” Trump stated. 

Meanwhile, Iran warned that any US intervention would spark “an all-out war.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that “Any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region.” Trump has consistently warned Iran of possible military consequences if it refuses to negotiate a nuclear deal. In February, he signed an executive order directing the Treasury Department to apply “maximum economic pressure” through sanctions aimed at crippling Iran’s oil exports.

By Naila Huseynova