WASHINGTON, Tuesday, July 28, 2026: US President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to keep Washington involved in the war with Iran, publicly displaying frustration with the Israeli leader as the two prepared to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Trump made the remarks during an interview with Fox & Friends after being asked about reports that Netanyahu planned to brief him on alleged Iranian activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground facility near one of Iran’s principal nuclear sites.

“I don’t need Bibi to tell me that,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “Bibi’s telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.”

Trump also questioned why Netanyahu had publicly disclosed his intention to present the intelligence instead of sharing it privately with the United States.

“Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world?” he said.

The comments pointed to visible differences between Washington and Israel over the future course of the Iran conflict. Netanyahu has pushed for continued pressure on Tehran, while Trump has recently indicated that he wants to give negotiations an opportunity to produce an agreement.

Trump said the United States was closely monitoring Pickaxe Mountain and already possessed detailed information about activity at the site. He claimed Washington could destroy the facility “very easily” if negotiations with Iran failed.

“If we don’t make a deal, we’ll take it out very easily,” Trump said.

The US president also claimed that earlier American and Israeli attacks had destroyed major Iranian nuclear facilities. Independent assessments of the full extent of the damage remain limited.

Trump said discussions with Iran had been productive but repeated that further military action remained possible if Tehran refused to reach an agreement. His remarks came as the United States sought to maintain a pause in strikes while exploring a diplomatic settlement with Iran.

Netanyahu later arrived at the White House for his first face-to-face meeting with Trump since the latest Iran conflict began. The talks were expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear activities, the future of US military involvement and wider regional security concerns.

Trump also maintained that the United States remained capable of responding to any Iranian attempt to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies.

The meeting came at a sensitive moment in US-Israel relations, with Trump favouring additional diplomatic engagement while Netanyahu continues to raise concerns that Iran could rebuild its nuclear and missile capabilities.

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