Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects allegations that he intentionally misled US President Donald Trump to push the United States into a war involving Iran. In an interview with ABC News, Netanyahu says he did not direct Trump’s decisions, recalling that the two spoke at Mar-a-Lago shortly after Trump’s 2024 re-election. Netanyahu states that Trump told him he needed to ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons, and that both sides understood action was necessary. Netanyahu also disputes reports that he told Trump a regime change in Iran was feasible and that Iran’s missile program could be destroyed within weeks without closing the Strait of Hormuz, saying those claims do not reflect his early assessment.
Separately, Netanyahu attributes declining US public support for Israel to social media influence and alleged manipulation, including through bot activity. He argues that misinformation online shapes perceptions of the Gaza war. Netanyahu also maintains that Hamas had “genocidal intent” toward civilians and frames restrictions on independent journalists in Gaza as a response to conditions in an active war zone, while saying observers can verify events through publicly available information.
