US President Donald Trump offered his perspective on Israel's post-election political landscape on Sunday, stating that Gadi Eisenkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold very similar policy views. Trump suggested that either leader would strongly support his administration's objectives. He made these comments after President Isaac Herzog formally tasked Eisenkot, the chairman of the Yashar party and a former IDF chief of staff, with forming Israel's next government.
This task assignment follows the October 27 election, in which Netanyahu's governing bloc failed to secure a parliamentary majority. Eisenkot received recommendations from factions representing 67 Knesset members, a higher number than the 46 who recommended Netanyahu. The former military chief now has 28 days to assemble a coalition, with the possibility of a 14 day extension. Despite his previous endorsement of Netanyahu, Trump stopped short of expressing a preference between the two rivals on Sunday.
The President also provided an extensive defense of his military campaign against Iran, asserting that the United States had already achieved victory by preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He described the conflict as a matter of closing it out. Trump claimed that US forces used B-2 bombers to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities, stating that this action probably saved Israel and the broader Middle East. He argued that if Iran had obtained nuclear weapons, the region and Israel would not have survived.
Trump criticized the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama, describing it as a path toward an Iranian nuclear weapon. He noted that his claims regarding the elimination of Iran's nuclear capabilities were not accompanied by new independent assessments of the country's remaining infrastructure. The President also addressed the movement of Iranian nuclear materials, stating that Washington had not observed such activity and that American surveillance capabilities, including those at Pickaxe Mountain, were effective.
In a new development, Trump discussed an expanded blockade aimed at restricting Iranian supply routes by land. He referred to Operation Iron Gate, which he said had just gone into effect. US Central Command announced on Saturday that Adm. Brad Cooper had ordered the formation of Task Force Iron Gate. This roughly 20 person team is based in Tampa, Florida, and will coordinate with other US government agencies to prevent the movement of advanced weapons, dual-use technologies, sanctioned materials, and illicit funds across Iran's land borders and the Caspian Sea.
Trump described this initiative as a central element of his strategy to force Tehran into an agreement. He claimed that the combined pressure of military strikes, economic sanctions, and trade restrictions had placed Iran in a desperate financial position. He cited high inflation and unpaid military personnel as evidence, though he did not provide supporting data for these specific estimates. The President stated that the country would eventually become reasonable under this pressure.
While emphasizing the current blockade, Trump warned that he could order a more destructive military campaign if negotiations failed. He mentioned that he could destroy bridges and power plants, noting that rebuilding such infrastructure would take years. He identified big bridges as particularly difficult to replace and said that destroying them would place a heavy burden on the people. These comments echoed his earlier statements to CNN regarding the destruction of dozens of Iranian bridges.
The President defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against impeachment efforts, describing him as a fine person who helped oversee successful campaigns in Venezuela and Iran. Trump argued that Hegseth was being targeted despite his accomplishments. He also addressed Vice President JD Vance's recent criticism of the Iran war, stating that Vance was right but should have added that he would do it again if given the chance. Trump affirmed that the decision to attack Iran would go down as one of the best things the US ever did.
Finally, Trump mentioned that his upcoming trip to China could include a three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said the leaders would discuss various topics, including denuclearization. The proposed summit remains under discussion, with no final announcement confirming that all three leaders will meet. For Trump, these potential talks would occur against the backdrop of the continuing confrontation with Iran and his ambition to negotiate nuclear agreements with other major powers.
