Trump Criticizes Netanyahu Over Public Reports on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain

White House Talks Strain as Trump Rejects Public Intelligence Announcements

President Donald Trump expressed open frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The friction centered on public reports regarding Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified facility buried deep underground near one of Iran’s main nuclear sites. The New York Post reported on Monday (or July 27) that Netanyahu was expected to provide intelligence to Trump that Iran is building up its nuclear facilities at Pickaxe Mountain and is lying about wanting a peace deal, citing a source in Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump’s remarks. Trump pushed back when asked about reports that Netanyahu planned to discuss alleged intelligence related to the underground nuclear site. I don’t need Bibi to tell me that, Trump said, using Netanyahu’s nickname. He added that Netanyahu is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.

I said: ‘Why didn’t you just tell it to me, why did you have to announce it to the world?' he said, referring to the report in an interview with Fox & Friends. I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe. It’s not a big problem, Trump said. Tuesday’s meeting with Netanyahu comes at a precarious time for Trump, who has said the US and Iran are engaged in a new diplomatic push following a 13-day escalation. He has repeatedly threatened new attacks, including on Pickaxe Mountain and Iran’s civilian infrastructure, if the talks fail. That fighting followed the breakdown of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the US and Iran in June, which saw a halt to fighting, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iran. Netanyahu’s government had opposed that deal and has favoured continued military operations.

Political Strains and Background Leading to the Washington Visit

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long presented his closeness to the United States – both politically and personally – as evidence of his indispensability to Israel. Arriving with a camera-ready American accent after spending a large portion of his youth in the country, Netanyahu is said to have used his unique understanding of US politics to charm and cajole numerous presidents into maintaining their unflagging support of Israel and his personal political projects.

Trump Guarantees Immunity for Benjamin Netanyahu During New York Visit

For a time it appeared as though US President Donald Trump was the most amenable of all past presidents to Israel and to Netanyahu, particularly after he became the first US leader to agree to participate in a joint war with Israel against Iran on February 28. Yet, with that war stalling, Trump appearing more willing to make deals in the Middle East without Israeli input, and increasing criticism of Israel in the US, there is a sense in Israel that Netanyahu’s Trump card may not be as useful as it once was.

That has come at a bad time for Netanyahu, who faces an election at home in late October and an ongoing trial for corruption, as well as several unresolved conflicts in the region. Netanyahu’s visit to Washington on Tuesday to meet Trump – his first since the war on Iran began – therefore is an opportunity for a refresh and a photo opportunity to remind the Israeli public of his ties to the US president. Strains in Netanyahu’s relationship with Trump have been growing since the start of the war on Iran, after reporting emerged that it was the Israeli prime minister who convinced the US president of the feasibility of the mission, and the potential for the Iranian state to be overthrown.

A Joint Visit and Parallel Diplomatic Engagements in Washington

The U.S. president was meeting Netanyahu after first having brief closed-door talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (also referred to as Zelenskiy). Relations with Zelensky have warmed as Ukraine has blunted Russian advances, while Netanyahu faces growing White House frustration over the lack of progress towards a broader settlement in the Iran conflict and criticism from some of Trump’s supporters who oppose deeper US involvement in the Middle East.

The two leaders—Netanyahu and Zelensky—are in Washington to attend a memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham, a hawkish Republican. Netanyahu is seeking President Donald Trump’s support in Israel’s upcoming election, while Zelenskiy’s standing has been lifted by battlefield gains in Ukraine.