President Donald Trump acknowledged criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "crazy" in a phone call that involved expletives, saying he was "a little bit perturbed" that Israel's fighting with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon was holding back peace talks with Iran.
Trump's Comments on the Call
In an interview released on Wednesday, Trump conceded the tensions but insisted that his relationship with Netanyahu was solid and that they connect, in part, because they are both "wartime" leaders. "We've worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him," Trump told The New York Post's 'Pod Force One'.
Netanyahu's Response
In an interview on the American business-news channel CNBC, Netanyahu responded that he and Trump sometimes have "tactical disagreements" but have "common goals" and "agree on the main things." "He respects me. I respect him. We always find a way to work out our differences," the prime minister said.
Impact on Iran Peace Talks
The president's comments about the Monday call offered a sign of the growing pressure he faces to resolve the Iran war as higher energy prices and economic uncertainty threaten Republican prospects in the midterm elections and hamper global commerce. Talks have dragged on for weeks as mediators seek to extend a fragile ceasefire into a more enduring truce. The negotiations are further strained by Israel's broadening war with the Iranian-backed militia group in Lebanon. The conflicts have become increasingly intertwined as Iran insists that any potential truce in the war there must also quell the fighting in Lebanon.
