Trump: Israel must accept any US deal with Iran

Istanbul (ANTARA) - US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday (7/6) that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must accept any nuclear deal achieved by Washington with Tehran, with Trump asserting that the decision regarding US foreign policy rests solely in his hands.

“He has no other choice,” Trump said during a telephone interview with the UK-based Financial Times. “I am the one who decides. I decide everything. It is not him who decides.”

Trump’s statement follows Iran’s launch of ballistic missiles at several targets in Israel, marking the most significant violation of the ceasefire reached in early April.

In a previous statement following the missile attacks, Trump told Fox News that he would ask Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran. Subsequent reports from Axios and Israeli media indicated that both leaders have held telephone conversations regarding the matter.

Despite the missile attacks, Trump stated that he would continue efforts to reach a deal with Tehran.

“This [the missile attack] will not affect the deal,” he said. “The deal may succeed on its own merits, or not, but the missile attack will not influence it.”

If negotiations ultimately fail, Trump said he would consider military action against Iran or tightening economic blockades.

“That means we might go in and resolve the parts we have not yet addressed militarily,” he said, adding that economic blockades have proven more damaging than military strikes.

The Iranian attacks occurred following a series of Israeli strikes on various targets in Lebanon, despite several US-mediated ceasefires. One such attack targeted Hezbollah positions in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday, which triggered the missile response from Iran. Tehran has stated that a permanent Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon is a prerequisite for any agreement with the US.