By Tom Howell Jr. (The Washington Times)
President Trump said Tuesday he doesn’t need guidance from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on how to handle Pickaxe Mountain, an Iranian site linked to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Mr. Trump, speaking to “Fox & Friends,” was responding to media reports that Mr. Netanyahu planned to present evidence of an uptick in activity around the site.
“Why can’t you just tell me? Why’d you have to tell the world?” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Netanyahu.
“I don’t need Bibi to tell me that,” he said. “Bibi is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved. We have the greatest cameras in the world. We know exactly what’s going on.”
The two leaders were set to meet Tuesday at the White House before heading to the National Cathedral to honor Lindsey Graham, the late South Carolina GOP senator and staunch ally of Israel.
Mr. Trump and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 with the key aim of preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Iran retaliated by clamping down on oil traffic in the region, sparking cycles of violence and peace negotiations.
Mr. Trump previously threatened to strike Pickaxe Mountain if it shows evidence of nuclear activity.
“We don’t make a deal, we’ll take it out very easily,” he told the Fox hosts.
Also Tuesday, Mr. Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Mr. Trump is pushing hard to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, which started with Moscow’s invasion in February 2022.
The war in Ukraine and conflict in Iran are becoming intertwined. Ukrainian forces struck an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, alleging it was carrying material aid to Russian forces.
Iran reacted furiously, saying the attack was unfounded and unlawful.
This article was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times.
