US President Donald Trump has said the decision on when to end the ongoing conflict with Iran will be taken jointly with Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report by The Times of Israel.
In a telephone interview with the publication, the US president claimed that the Islamic Republic had been close to destroying Israel before the current military intervention.
“Iran was going to destroy Israel and everything else around it,” Trump said. “We’ve worked together. We’ve destroyed a country that wanted to destroy Israel.”
Asked whether the authority to halt the campaign rested solely with Washington or if Israel had equal influence in the decision, Trump indicated the two leaders were coordinating closely.
“I think it’s mutual, a little bit. We’ve been talking. I’ll make a decision at the right time, but everything’s going to be taken into account,” he said, suggesting that while he would retain the final say, Netanyahu’s views would also be considered.
When questioned about whether Israel might continue military operations independently if the United States ended its involvement, Trump dismissed the possibility. “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary,” he said.
The comments come as the White House has suggested the conflict could last between four and six weeks, although Trump has avoided committing to a specific timeline.
The fighting began after a joint US-Israeli military campaign launched on February 28 targeted key sites in Iran. The strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
The interview took place shortly after Tehran announced that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the former leader, had been chosen as Iran’s new Supreme Leader. Trump declined to offer a detailed response to the appointment, telling the outlet: “We’ll see what happens.”
Trump also renewed his call for legal relief for Netanyahu. The Israeli prime minister is currently on trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Trump criticised Isaac Herzog for not granting Netanyahu a pardon.
“Bibi Netanyahu should be given that pardon immediately,” Trump said. “I think he’s doing a terrible thing by not giving it. We want Bibi to be focused on the war, not on a ridiculous pardon.”
Herzog’s office responded by stressing that Israel “is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law,” adding that the pardon request is being handled through the Justice Ministry.
Despite past tensions between the two leaders, Trump praised his current cooperation with Netanyahu. “We’ve done a great job together, like what we’ve done with Iran,” he said.
Trump also argued that the military campaign had prevented a wider regional crisis.
“Iran was going to destroy Israel and everything else around it, and now look what we have — we have them being destroyed,” he said. He further credited Netanyahu’s leadership for Israel’s security, adding that “if Bibi wasn’t around, Israel would not exist today.”
Trump also suggested that weakening Tehran could have wider consequences across the region, including for Iran-backed groups such as Hamas.
