Prateek Tanmay
US President Donald Trump has said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have “no choice” but to accept Iran-US deal. (File Photo) US President Donald Trump has said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have “no choice” but to accept any deal Washington reaches with Iran, stressing that he “calls the shots”.
“He won’t have any choice,” Trump told the Financial Times in an interview. “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots.”
His remarks came hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles towards Israel, marking a major escalation since a ceasefire in April.
‘It’s not going to have any impact on the deal’
Trump said the Iranian strikes would not affect ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran.
“It’s not going to have any impact on the deal,” he told the FT, adding that the agreement would succeed or fail on its “own merit”.
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“The deal may make it on its own merit, or not, but this will not have any effect on it,” he said.
However, he signalled less certainty about the timeline of an agreement. “I think the deal is going on. We’ll see what happens,” he said.
‘I would tell him not to retaliate’
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said he would ask Netanyahu to avoid a military retaliation against Iran for its missile attack.
“I would tell him not to retaliate,” he said, indicating a push to avoid further escalation.
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This comes even as Israeli military officials have suggested a response is likely.
‘Two things’ if talks fail
Trump said the US was considering its options if negotiations with Iran do not succeed.
“It means two things,” he said. “Number one, possibly we would go in and take care of the rest of the place that we didn’t take care of militarily. Or it would just mean that we would keep the blockade on Iran.”
The latest exchange follows an Israeli strike in Beirut targeting Hezbollah, after which Iran launched missiles in response.
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Despite US-backed ceasefire efforts between Israel and Lebanon, Israel has continued strikes in the region, including in Beirut.
Iran has said a permanent Israeli ceasefire is a condition for any deal with Washington.
Trump also confirmed reports of a tense earlier call with Netanyahu, though he did not dispute how it was described.
The developments underline growing pressure on US-led diplomacy as tensions between Israel and Iran continue.
