On Wednesday, former US President Donald Trump made bold assertions regarding his popularity in Israel, suggesting he could potentially vie for the position of Prime Minister. During a discussion addressing the heightened tensions with Iran, Trump lauded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, characterizing him as a “great guy” and expressing confidence in Netanyahu’s alignment with his directives. Trump’s comments emerged in response to questions from reporters about Netanyahu and Israel’s strategy concerning Iran, shared in videos on the social media platform X.
Highlighting his perceived strong support in Israel, Trump humorously contemplated a future political role there, asserting, “I’m right now at 99% in Israel. I could run for prime minister.” He went on to say, “So maybe after I do this, I’ll go to Israel, run for prime minister.” Claiming to have seen a poll reflecting his popularity, Trump mentioned, “I had a poll this morning. I’m 99%. So that’s good.” Alongside these comments, Trump critiqued the perceived unfair treatment of Netanyahu by Israeli leadership, specifically mentioning a president who he felt was not treating Netanyahu well.
These remarks from Trump coincided with Israeli lawmakers moving forward with a bill from Netanyahu’s coalition that could lead to the dissolution of parliament and potential new elections. Within this context, Trump addressed escalating tensions with Iran, indicating the United States was nearing a critical juncture. “We’re in the final stages of Iran. We’ll see what happens,” Trump remarked to reporters, hinting at the possibility of taking severe measures if negotiations falter. He stated, “We’re going to give this one shot. I’m in no hurry.”
Later that day, Trump reportedly claimed that Iran’s air force and navy had been significantly weakened, issuing a warning that future military confrontations could become increasingly challenging if Tehran did not agree to a favorable deal. Despite the heightened tensions, diplomatic discussions between the United States and Tehran are reportedly still underway. The unfolding situation reflects the complex dynamics at play in the region and the ongoing efforts to navigate through these geopolitical challenges.