Trump says Israel shouldn’t complain about Iran MoU, claims it backed out of Soleimani assassination

According to NBC, U.S. officials familiar with the planning rejected President Trump’s characterization of Israel’s role.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Donald Trump said at the G7 conference on Wednesday that Israel should not criticize the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the war with Iran, arguing that Israel had withdrawn from a planned U.S. operation to assassinate Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, a claim disputed by former U.S. officials.

Speaking as Israeli officials continued voicing concerns about elements of the MoU, President Trump recounted his version of events surrounding the Soleimani operation and suggested Israel had backed away from participating shortly before it was carried out.

“They’ve been wonderful to me, Israel, but they didn’t want to do that attack,” President Trump said.

“They were all set the night before the attack. Then [Israel told] me they didn’t want to do it,” President Trump added, saying he proceeded with the operation without Israeli involvement.

The remarks revived an account President Trump has offered previously but had not publicly repeated since the start of his second term.

“For all of those so-called geniuses who want to show me how smart they are, ask them why didn’t they blow up Gen. Soleimani,” President Trump said in comments that appeared to refer to Israel.

NBC News reported that U.S. officials familiar with the planning rejected President Trump’s characterization of Israel’s role.

According to NBC, officials said the president’s account was inaccurate. “They were never on board with it,” said a former senior White House official, referring to the Israelis. “They always thought it was a dangerous and destabilizing idea.”

President Trump also renewed criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon while praising the broader U.S.-Israel relationship.

“Bibi Netanyahu happens to be a good man, but he gets a little excited sometimes,” President Trump said, while also describing Netanyahu as an “amazing prime minister.”

“We have a little dispute over Lebanon. I say, ‘You can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah,’” President Trump said.

“But it’s been an amazing partnership. [Netanyahu] will say [the US is] the big partner, and [Israel’s] the very small partner, and that’s true,” he added.

Israeli officials have criticized the MoU on several grounds, including the extension of the ceasefire into Lebanon, which they argue would limit Israel’s ability to retaliate against Hezbollah.