Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for Israel in a Truth Social post on Saturday evening, just hours after reports emerged suggesting Benjamin Netanyahu had been rattled by an earlier remark he had made.
Writing at around 9pm ET, the US president described Israel as a “great ally” of Washington while taking a swipe at European nations that declined to participate in the Iran conflict.
Earlier reports painted a picture of a troubled Netanyahu, who had reportedly been left shaken by Trump’s declaration that Israel was “prohibited” from carrying out air strikes in Lebanon. Sources told Axios that Netanyahu was “personally stunned and alarmed” when aides brought the message to his attention.
In Friday’s statement, Trump said: “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”, reports the Mirror US.
His subsequent message, however, signalled unwavering American support.
“Whether people like Israel or not, they have proven to be a GREAT Ally of the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “They are Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart and, unlike others that have shown their true colors in a moment of conflict and stress, Israel fights hard, and knows how to WIN!”
This comes after Iran announced the reopening of the strait to commercial shipping following a 10-day ceasefire brokered between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
The reopening prompted a drop in oil prices. However, Trump declared that the US blockade of Iran’s ports “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches an agreement with the United States.
The US president imposed the blockade following a round of historic face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan between the two countries, which ended without a deal being struck.
Since the blockade commenced on Monday, US forces have turned back 23 ships bound for Iran, according to US Central Command on Saturday.