Netanyahu Backs Trump's Iran Diplomacy, Says Israel Can Gradually Phase Out US Military Aid

Washington: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed support for US President Donald Trump's efforts to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Iran, while also saying Israel is becoming self-reliant enough to eventually eliminate its dependence on American military assistance.

In an interview with NBC News' Meet the Press, Netanyahu said Trump was committed to pursuing diplomacy over Iran's nuclear programme but remained prepared to take military action if Tehran failed to honour any agreement.

"I think President Trump wants to exhaust the possibility of achieving an agreement, especially on the nuclear issue, through negotiations," Netanyahu said, adding that the US President would not hesitate to use force if Iran violated its commitments.

Trump, speaking separately on the same programme, claimed Iran had accepted what he described as "a perfect deal" before subsequently carrying out a drone attack on a ship.

"They agreed to a deal yesterday, a perfect deal for us. No nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing. They gave up everything," Trump said. "Then they left the room, and within an hour, they launched a drone at a ship."

Trump also confirmed that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz remained open and stated that the United States had conducted fresh military strikes against Iran overnight.

Reflecting on the long-standing defence partnership between Israel and the United States, Netanyahu said the two countries had worked together to counter what he described as the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.

He said Israel deeply appreciated American military support but believed the country was now in a position to gradually reduce its dependence on such assistance.

"We've come of age, and we're able to draw them down to zero," Netanyahu said, referring to US military aid agreements reached under successive American administrations.

Netanyahu also recalled discussions with the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, describing him as one of Israel's strongest supporters in the US Senate. According to Netanyahu, Graham consistently advocated greater American funding for Israel's ballistic missile defence systems, even when Israeli officials sought lower levels of assistance.

He added that Graham believed continued military support for Israel was also in the strategic security interests of the United States.

With inputs from IANS