WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second consecutive day, hours before the two leaders were scheduled to meet at the White House.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said Netanyahu should have discussed concerns over Iran’s underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility with him privately instead of raising the issue publicly.
“I heard Bibi (Netanyahu) announce that. I said, ‘Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world?'” Trump said.
Trump suggested Netanyahu was emphasising the site because he wanted to persuade Washington to remain involved in the conflict with Iran.
“No, I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved,” Trump said, adding that the US was fully aware of developments at the facility and knows “exactly what’s going on.”
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump announces America will BOMB Iran’s nuclear Pickaxe Mountain if no deal is made — the mountain will be totally obliterated
Q: Netanyahu will tell you Iran is fortifying Pickaxe Mountain?
TRUMP: I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi is telling me… pic.twitter.com/5Iu5lRMQNR
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 28, 2026
He noted that while his military has already “destroyed most” of the country’s military infrastructure, the Pickaxe site remains a target. “We’ll have to take out Pickaxe if we don’t make a deal … we’ll take it out very easily.”
Netanyahu faces White House frustration
Trump and Netanyahu are expected to meet later Tuesday at the White House, with Iran, Gaza and broader regional security expected to dominate the agenda.
The New York Post reported on Monday 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.
Also Read: Trump Confirms ‘Good Talks’ with Iran as Mediators Push for De-Escalation
Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump’s remarks, according to Reuters.
Netanyahu faces growing White House frustration over the lack of progress toward a broader settlement in the Iran conflict and criticism from some of Trump’s supporters who oppose deeper US involvement in the Middle East.
Netanyahu Seeks Trump’s Support for Re-election
Netanyahu has run hot and cold with Trump, who at times has had to rein in the Israeli leader from attacking Lebanon.
An acrimonious phone call in June in which the president called the prime minister “fucking crazy”, first leaked to the media and later publicly confirmed by Trump himself, laid bare the strains between the two leaders.
Sources familiar with the matter, cited by Reuters, said Netanyahu aims to get Trump’s support for his re-election campaign ahead of an October 27 vote.
A meeting with Trump that showcases what has traditionally been a close relationship between the two leaders could help Netanyahu at home where he is struggling in the opinion polls.
