As United States President Donald Trump addressed the world on the strikes launched by his nation’s army in opposition to three key Iranian nuclear websites within the early hours on Sunday, he thanked a number of folks and establishments.
The US army, fighter pilots who dropped the bombs, and a common have been amongst these on his checklist. So was one particular person who isn’t American, and with whom Trump has had a topsy-turvy relationship: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump additionally mentioned Netanyahu and he had labored like “maybe no staff has ever labored earlier than”. These laudatory feedback symbolize a stark distinction from the much more crude language that Trump used for the Israeli chief simply 4 years in the past, and their public stress over Iran lower than a month in the past.
We observe Trump’s often-love and sometimes-hate relationship with Netanyahu:
What did Trump say about Netanyahu?
In his televised deal with on Sunday, through the early morning hours within the Center East, Trump thanked and congratulated Netanyahu. “I wish to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,” he mentioned, referring to a reputation the Israeli PM is extensively identified by.
“We labored as a staff like maybe no staff has ever labored earlier than, and we’ve gone a protracted strategy to erasing this horrible risk to Israel,” Trump mentioned, referring to Iran’s nuclear services.
“I wish to thank the Israeli army for the fantastic job they’ve achieved,” Trump mentioned, including reward for the US forces.
Trump warned Iran to just accept what he described as “peace” however what successfully quantities to the give up of its nuclear programme, on US phrases.
“If they don’t, future assaults will probably be far higher and loads simpler,” he mentioned. In the meantime, Israel stays the one nation within the Center East with a nuclear arsenal, although it has by no means formally acknowledged it.
The US strikes comply with 9 days of Israeli missile assaults in opposition to Iran, together with on its nuclear services. Israel didn’t have the bombs wanted to break or destroy Iran’s most secretive nuclear web site in Fordow, buried deep inside a mountain. The US, utilizing its bunker-buster bombs, hit Fordow in addition to the services in Natanz and Isfahan on Sunday.
Trump’s determination to align himself with Netanyahu in bringing the US into the battle with Iran has break up his “Make America Nice Once more” (MAGA) assist base.
What did Netanyahu say about Trump?
After Trump introduced the strikes and appreciated the Israeli chief, Netanyahu responded with hotter phrases than those the US president had used for him.
“President Trump, your daring determination to focus on Iran’s nuclear services with the superior and righteous may of the US will change historical past,” Netanyahu mentioned in a recorded video assertion.
He additional mentioned, “In tonight’s motion in opposition to Iran’s nuclear services, America has been really unsurpassed. It has achieved what no different nation on Earth might do.”
“Historical past will document that President Trump acted to disclaim the world’s most harmful regime the world’s most harmful weapons,” mentioned Netanyahu.
The chief of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company (IAEA) has publicly mentioned it doesn’t consider that Iran was constructing a nuclear weapon, an evaluation shared by US intelligence companies, which additionally drew the identical conclusion earlier this 12 months.
Nevertheless, Trump has in current days mentioned his hand-picked spy chief, Tulsi Gabbard, and the intelligence group’s evaluation have been “incorrect”.
Trump’s “management as we speak has created a pivot of historical past that may assist lead the Center East and past to a way forward for prosperity and peace”, Netanyahu mentioned on this assertion.
“President Trump and I usually say: ‘Peace by means of energy’. First comes energy, then comes peace. And tonight, Donald Trump and the US acted with plenty of energy,” concluded Netanyahu.
How have been their ties throughout Trump’s first time period?
Netanyahu loved a shut relationship with Trump throughout his first time period in workplace from 2017 to 2021.
Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, a long-sought symbolic victory for Netanyahu that strengthened his picture domestically. Trump appointed an envoy who was ideologically aligned with Israel’s settler motion, David Friedman, in Could 2017.
In March 2019, the US president additionally recognised Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, turning into the one world chief to again Israel’s annexation of the area that’s recognised internationally as part of Syria.
In September 2020, Trump hosted the signing of the Abraham Accords, which led to normalisation of relations between Israel and 4 Arab states – Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan.
Trump formally withdrew the US from the Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA) — generally referred to as the Iran nuclear deal — in Could 2018, by means of a presidential proclamation that reinstated US sanctions in opposition to Iran.
This marked a significant shift from the earlier US coverage of implementing the JCPOA in January 2016 to curb Iran’s nuclear programme in alternate for sanctions aid. Trump declared the deal “faulty at its core”, claiming it provided inadequate assurances and failed to deal with Iran’s missile programme and regional actions.
Why did Trump bitter on Netanyahu?
In a December 2021 Axios interview with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, Trump revealed that his relationship with Netanyahu deteriorated after the Israeli PM publicly congratulated incoming President Joe Biden on his 2020 election victory — a loss that Trump has refused to just accept.
“The primary person who congratulated [Biden] was Bibi Netanyahu, the person that I did extra for than every other particular person I handled. Bibi might have stayed quiet. He has made a horrible mistake,” Trump mentioned, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “And never solely did he congratulate him, he did it on tape.”
“F*** him,” Trump mentioned, expressing his anger.
How have their ties been since?
Whereas the incoming Trump administration initially claimed to dealer a ceasefire within the Gaza Strip, with some observers noting that he might rein within the Israeli army marketing campaign, it quickly rallied behind Netanyahu’s persevering with genocidal marketing campaign in opposition to the Palestinian folks.
In a joint information convention in February this 12 months, Trump wildly proposed that the US ought to “take over” the Gaza Strip, redevelop it, and relocate Palestinians — a plan that Netanyahu publicly endorsed as “nothing incorrect”.
Netanyahu additionally mentioned he was “dedicated to US President Trump’s plan for the creation of a special Gaza”. Later that month, the US accepted $2.5bn price of arms gross sales to Israel, together with bombs and drones.
In March, Israel resumed main air assaults in Gaza after negotiations over the discharge of captives collapsed. The White Home confirmed that Israel had consulted Trump earlier than the assaults.
On Iran, in the meantime, Trump’s place has seesawed from alignment with Netanyahu to his personal distinct positions.
April 12-June 13, 2025: The US led back-channel nuclear negotiations with Iran, mediated by Oman.
Could: Trump said throughout his Gulf tour that the US was in “very severe negotiations” with Iran and “getting very shut” to a nuclear deal, signalling openness to diplomacy. On Could 28, Trump mentioned he advised Netanyahu to carry off on any strike in opposition to Iran to offer his administration extra time to push for a brand new nuclear deal. He advised reporters on the White Home that he relayed to Netanyahu a strike “can be inappropriate to do proper now as a result of we’re very near an answer”.
June 11-12: The IAEA mentioned Iran had not been clear sufficient in its nuclear programme, and that parts of its strategy have been in violation of the nation’s safeguards settlement with the United Nations nuclear watchdog. The US started evacuating its regional embassies. Tensions surged as Trump said that diplomacy was stalling and hinted at severe penalties if no deal was reached.
June 13: Israel launched huge air strikes on Iranian nuclear and army websites, killing key nuclear scientists, students, and high army commanders.
Within the preliminary US response to Israeli assaults on Iran, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, referred to as the strikes “unilateral” and mentioned Washington was “not concerned in strikes in opposition to Iran and our high precedence is defending American forces within the area”.
The US-Iran talks over a nuclear deal have been suspended. Trump admitted that he was conscious of Israel’s plans to assault Iran.
June 19: Trump, after almost per week of stalled talks and Israeli assaults, signalled assist for Israel’s army marketing campaign, although holding a diplomatic observe open for talks with Tehran.
June 20: The US president set a two-week ultimatum for Iran to barter the nuclear deal.
June 21: Trump ordered US air strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear services, coordinating with Israel. He declared them “fully obliterated”.