In an interview with the Financial Times on 7/6, President Donald Trump stated that the authority to decide on hostilities with Iran rests with the US, not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. If the US and Iran reach a peace agreement, Trump believes the Israeli leader will have no option but to "accept the new reality".
"He will have no other choice. I am the one with the authority. I make all decisions. Mr. Netanyahu cannot make any decisions," the US president declared.
The statement came shortly after Iran launched a ballistic missile targeting northern Israel, in retaliation for the Israeli military's attack on a stronghold of the Hezbollah armed group in the suburbs of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.
The US president believes these actions will not affect the negotiation process. "This will not impact the agreement. We will see how things end up," he said.
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US President Donald Trump held a cabinet meeting at the White House on 27/5. Photo: AP
President Trump had a phone conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu about one hour before the interview with the Financial Times.
He also told Axios he would call the Israeli leader to ask the country not to retaliate against Iran, as Washington neared an agreement with Tehran. Though unable to detail negotiation progress, the US leader affirmed that dialogue efforts continued.
The US president had previously told Fox the two sides were only "a few days" away from a deal before the attacks. He also reiterated the possibility of military action and maintaining a blockade of Iranian seaports if negotiations failed.
In another interview aired on NBC on 7/6, President Trump called for "more precise" attacks targeting Hezbollah, while emphasizing he did not demand the conflict in Lebanon be included in the framework of a deal with Iran. He also revealed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was ready to support efforts to advance an agreement related to the conflict in Lebanon.
Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported that Israeli attacks since 2/3 have resulted in at least 3,558 fatalities.
Thanh Danh (According to AFP, Times of Israel)
