In a phone interview with the Financial Times on June 7, Trump said regarding Netanyahu's acceptance of a U.S. deal with Iran, "He will have no choice." He emphasized, "I make all the decisions; it’s not his decision."
This statement came shortly after Iran launched ballistic missiles toward northern Israel, citing support for Hezbollah. Earlier, the Israeli military had attacked Hezbollah positions in Beirut, Lebanon, which are backed by Iran.
Trump reportedly spoke with Netanyahu about an hour before making his comments. He had previously indicated to Axios that he would call Netanyahu to advise against retaliation against Iran as he pursued an agreement.
In his interview with the Financial Times, Trump asserted that Iran's missile attack would not affect his commitment to seeking a diplomatic resolution. He stated, "It will have no impact on the agreement," adding, "We will see how it ends. But their attack was completely ineffective," describing it as part of a longstanding conflict that has persisted for thousands of years or, depending on how one calculates, for 47 years.
The Financial Times noted that Trump did not specify whether a deal with Iran was imminent. However, he had previously mentioned to Fox News that only a few days remained until an agreement could be reached before the attacks occurred.
Trump expressed confidence that negotiations were ongoing, stating, "I believe the agreement is still in progress. We will see what happens." He emphasized that while the agreement could be finalized based on its content and conditions, the recent events would not affect it.
He also reaffirmed his stance that military action could be taken if no agreement is reached. Trump explained, "Not reaching an agreement means one of two things: either we will address additional targets that we have not previously handled militarily, or it could mean that we continue to maintain a maritime blockade against Iran," noting that this blockade is likely stronger than any attack on Iran.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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