— It's going well (…) There was a little problem today, but I got over it very quickly, as you probably noticed earlier, Trump told a journalist on the phone. According to the president, the problem was that the Iranians were dissatisfied with Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Deal 'needs a few more points'
He added that a peace agreement with Iran could be “even better than a military victory.” — This is not an easy matter. We are talking about a really big country (…) – he continued. – So it's not easy for them. Actually, it's not easy on our side either. But we get what we need, Trump said.
Asked when a tentative agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would be reached, Trump said it could happen within the next week. He added that he had not agreed to the contract so far because “I need a few more points.”
Trump's words and facts. “Big discrepancy”
Axios wrote, citing three sources, that Trump, during a conversation with Netanyahu, vulgarly criticized him for the escalation of actions in Lebanon. – You're f***ing crazy. If it weren't for me, you'd be in jail. I'm saving your ass. Everyone hates you. This is why everyone hates Israel – this is how one of the Axios interviewees summarized Trump's statement to Netanyahu. Another source admitted that Trump was “pissed off” and at one point shouted at Netanyahu: “What the f*** are you doing?”
On Friday, the US president announced that he would make a final decision on the preliminary agreement with Iran. According to Axios, Trump reportedly requested additional changes to the project instead.
As the New York Times wrote last week, Trump alternates between assuring diplomatic progress in talks with Iran and threatening aggression against that country. The NYT noted that for several weeks, Trump has been alternately talking about negotiating, bombing and blocking Iran, sometimes even in the same day. He even suggested several times that the war was over – recalled the daily, which analyzed the US president's statements about the war with Iran that started on February 28. The newspaper concluded that “there is often a large discrepancy” between the actual situation and the president's declarations that the conflict is coming to an end.
