WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump was reportedly frustrated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public criticism of a proposed US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, according to a report published by Axios on Thursday.
Citing two senior White House officials, the report said Trump reacted negatively after Netanyahu questioned the potential arms deal during a Fox News interview, delivered shortly before the US president departed for the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7.
One official told Axios that Trump viewed Netanyahu’s comments as an unnecessary intervention in a US policy decision. Another official said the president believed the Israeli leader had “no right” to publicly weigh in on the proposed defense agreement with Türkiye.
The report also said speculation about an imminent meeting between Trump and Netanyahu in Washington proved unfounded. Although Israeli media had suggested the two leaders would meet on Monday, White House officials confirmed that no such meeting had been scheduled.
According to the officials, Netanyahu had been seeking a meeting with Trump for more than two weeks, but the request had not been added to the president’s official calendar.
Netanyahu had planned to travel to Washington to attend a memorial service for the late Senator Lindsey Graham and potentially meet Trump during the visit. However, the trip was canceled after Graham’s funeral service was postponed, the Israeli prime minister’s office announced.
Despite the postponement, White House officials did not dismiss the possibility of a future meeting once Netanyahu returns to Washington.
The reported disagreement comes as tensions continue to rise between the Trump administration and the Israeli government over Washington’s diplomatic approach toward Iran.
The latest developments also follow comments by Vice President JD Vance, who recently alleged that individuals within the Israeli government were attempting to influence US policy in ways that could derail diplomatic efforts with Tehran and extend the regional conflict.
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