With a promised peace deal set to be signed this Friday, Trump is lashing out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for continuing a military offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in Lebanon that could ruin it.
“Why did Bibi have to do a [expletive] attack?” Trump told Axios in a weekend phone interview. “I was so p‑‑‑ed off. I let him know. He has no [expletive] judgment. I let him know that.”
Hezbollah, which is financed and supplied by Iran, has been attacking targets in Israel since the U.S.-Iran military campaign against Iran began in February. Those attacks broke a ceasefire, which dated back to last November, and Israeli forces have now conducted military operations that have penetrated deep into the capital, Beirut.
Trump’s criticism of Israel’s prime minister comes after he acknowledged cursing at Netanyahu in a tense phone call weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iran are expected to resolve Iran’s uranium enrichment, and the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, at a signing ceremony Friday in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to Iranian officials, that peace deal also includes Israeli military forces withdrawing from Lebanon – a demand Israel is reportedly rejecting.
Observing the Trump-Netanyahu conflict, Washington Times columnist Robert Knight says it’s obvious the U.S. president is eager to produce a peace deal with Iran. The reason why, Knight added, is concern for the upcoming midterm elections.
“People are upset over the price of gasoline. They don't like the war dragging on," Knight said.
Echoing the skeptical view of many, Knight said he can’t understand why President Trump is determined to pursue a peace deal with a regime that can’t be trusted and will likely betray him.
"Make no mistake: Iran is our enemy,” Knight said. “They have pledged to destroy us and Israel, and the sooner that regime falls, the better for the whole world."
Reacting to the peace deal, Middle East analyst Danny Burwami said on American Family Radio he was surprised the deal includes a promise of $300 billion in foreign investment from its Gulf State neighbors.
“The assumption that they would change is a mistake,” Burwami, a vocal defender of Israel, told show host Jenna Ellis. “We are talking about a theological regime that believes chaos precedes the return of their savior, their messiah, the Mahdi."
