US President Donald Trump claims he can influence Israel’s actions, saying leaders “do as I say”.
United States President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that he would be able to prevent Israel from carrying out strikes on Lebanon. He indicated that the Israeli leadership acts on his directions due to what he described as strong mutual respect.
During an interview on The Axios Show, when asked whether he could influence Israeli military actions in the region, particularly regarding potential strikes on Lebanon, Trump said that he would be able to exercise control over such decisions. “Yeah, I will be. I mean, they have a lot of respect for me, and they do as I say,” Trump said.
Trump also referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they both have strong ties.”It’s good, but we have to keep him a little bit sane,” he remarked.
Trump’s remarks came as Israel and Hezbollah agreed to halt the heavy fighting in southern Lebanon that had threatened to unravel an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end their war.
The ceasefire followed a day of escalating violence. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 47 people overnight and into Friday, while Israel said four of its soldiers had been killed in attacks by Hezbollah.
Earlier on Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance, during his press conference, seemed to be deliver a strong public criticism of the Israeli leadership, fuelling speculation that cracks are widening between Washington and its closest ally in the Middle East.
“Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time… If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” Vance was quoted as saying.