Trump Tells Netanyahu ‘I Call the Shots’ as He Weighs Commando Raids and Blockade Against Iran

Trump asserts personal control over Iran negotiations, sidelining Israeli input

US President Donald Trump declared in a Financial Times interview that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no say in any nuclear or security deal the United States reaches with Iran, as tensions between the two allies spill into public view following a fresh Iranian ballistic missile strike on Israeli territory.

“He won’t have any choice. I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots,” Trump told the FT, referring directly to Netanyahu.

Iran Strikes Israel, Ceasefire Under Strain

The Iranian missile attack on Israel represents the most serious breach of a ceasefire agreement reached in April, following a sharp escalation earlier this year. On 28 February, US and Israeli forces conducted joint strikes on several Iranian sites; Iran responded by striking targets across the region and closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the renewed hostilities, Trump insisted the strikes would not derail ongoing US-Iran negotiations. “It’s not going to have any impact on the deal,” he told the FT, adding: “The deal may make it on its own merit, or not, but this will not have any effect on it.”

Military Options Remain on the Table

When asked what course the United States would take if negotiations collapsed entirely, Trump outlined two contingencies.

Trump also told Fox News that he would instruct Netanyahu to refrain from any retaliatory strikes against Iran, further underscoring his stated intent to control the trajectory of the conflict.

Leaked Phone Call Deepens Rift With Netanyahu

Trump’s public assertions of dominance over Israeli decision-making follow the leak of a reportedly heated phone call between the two leaders on 1 June. According to leaked accounts, Trump told Netanyahu: “You’re f***ing crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me,” and added, “I’m saving your a**. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”

The White House has not publicly confirmed or denied the contents of the call. The leak adds to mounting evidence of a significant fracture between Washington and Jerusalem over the management of the Iran crisis and its regional consequences.