Trump says Netanyahu has 'no choice' on US-Iran deal

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have "no choice" but to accept any nuclear deal Washington reaches with Tehran, declaring unambiguously that he alone controls American foreign policy decisions regarding the Islamic Republic. Speaking in a telephone interview with the Britain-based Financial Times, Trump dismissed any notion of Israeli influence over US diplomatic strategy. "He won't have any choice," Trump said. "I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn't call the shots."

Trump's remarks came after Iran launched ballistic missiles at targets in Israel in the most significant breach of a ceasefire reached in early April. In earlier comments to US broadcaster Fox News, the US president had indicated he would instruct Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran, with subsequent reporting by outlet Axios and Israeli media confirming the two leaders had concluded a phone conversation on the matter.

Missile attack will not derail negotiations

Despite the missile attack, Trump told the Financial Times that he would continue to pursue an agreement with Tehran, insisting the barrage would not affect diplomatic efforts. "It's not going to have any impact on the deal," he said. "The deal may make it on its own merit, or not, but this will not have any effect on it."

The Iranian attack came after repeated Israeli strikes on targets in Lebanon despite multiple US-brokered ceasefires. These included a strike on a Hezbollah position in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday that prompted Iran's missile response.

Military option remains if diplomacy fails

Should negotiations ultimately fail, Trump said he would consider military action against Iran or an intensified economic blockade against the country. "It would mean that possibly we would go in and take care of the rest of the place that we didn't take care of militarily," he said, adding that the blockade had proven more damaging than military strikes.

Tehran has stated that a permanent Israeli ceasefire in Lebanon would be a prerequisite for any agreement with the US, linking any diplomatic breakthrough in nuclear talks to the cessation of hostilities in the neighboring country. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly conditioned its participation in nuclear negotiations on an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.