US President Donald Trump has insisted Israel would have been ‘eviscerated’ and ‘blown up’ without his intervention and support.
Trump also added he has to try to keep Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘a little bit sane’ and that he has ‘a lot of respect for me’.
And he maintained Netanyahu would ‘do as I say’ as deadly strikes in Lebanon risked derailing his Iran peace plan.
But US intelligence agencies last night warned that Netanyahu would try to scupper ongoing Trump’s peace efforts with the Middle East, per the Washington Post.
Asked if he can control Israel in Lebanon, Trump told the Axios news site: ‘Yeah. They have a lot of respect for me – and do as I say.’
It came as the IDF and Hezbollah traded blows immediately after agreeing another ceasefire.On Wednesday Tehran had piled pressure on Mr Trump to try to force Mr Netanyahu to pause attacks as it scrapped talks which had been due to take place yesterday, citing the conflict in Lebanon.
Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed three days ago between the US and Iran, both Israel and Hezbollah were to immediately cease hostilities in Lebanon.
Netanyahu, who did not sign the memorandum and was sidelined in talks, vowed Israel will stay in the ‘security zone’ it has established beyond the border indefinitely.
