Washington, DC: United States president Donald Trump has said that a decision to end the ongoing war with Iran will be made in coordination with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump claimed that that Iran was on the verge of annihilating Israel prior to the current military intervention, in a telephonic interview with The Times of Israel.
“Iran was going to destroy Israel and everything else around it. We’ve worked together. We’ve destroyed a country that wanted to destroy Israel,” he said, as reported by ANI.
Trump suggested a collaborative approach when asked whether the authority to halt the campaign rested solely with Washington or if the Israeli leadership held equal weight.
“I think it’s mutual, a little bit. We’ve been talking. I’ll make a decision at the right time, but everything’s going to be taken into account,” the Republican leader said, indicating he would retain the ultimate prerogative while considering Netanyahu’s input.
Trump also dismissed the necessity of Israel continuing military operations independently even after the US decides to cease. He declined to engage with the theoretical situation, simply stating: “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary.”
The White House had earlier suggested the conflict may last between four to six weeks, but Trump has been avoiding committing to a rigid schedule. His latest remarks underline the deep coordination between the two nations following the joint military operation launched on February 28, which resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The interview took place shortly after Tehran announced that Ali Khamenei’s second son Mojtaba Khamenei has been selected the new supreme leader of Iran.
Trump refrained from going into detail on this matter and declared: “We’ll see what happens.”
The US president had earlier told ABC News that the new Iranian leadership would not “last long” without White House approval.
During the interview, Trump also waded into Israel’s domestic politics, renewing his calls for a legal reprieve for Netanyahu. He criticised Israeli president Isaac Herzog for failing to grant a pardon to Netanyahu, who is currently on trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
“Bibi Netanyahu should be given that pardon immediately. I think (Herzog is) doing a terrible thing by not giving it. We want Bibi to be focused on the war, not on a ridiculous pardon,” the US president said.
Trump also praised his current partnership with Netanyahu, stating: “We’ve done a great job together, like what we’ve done with Iran.”
Crediting his and Netanyahu’s leadership for Israel’s continued survival, the US president said: “(if) Bibi wasn’t around, Israel would not exist today.” The weakening of Tehran would have a ripple effect on regional proxies like Hamas, potentially leading to their disarmament, Trump said.
“Many people will disarm because of (the war against Iran),” he predicted, noting that “Iran is in a position that it’s never known before, and it’s only going to get worse for them.”
