In a startling revelation that flies in the face of earlier reports and anonymous leaks, former US President Donald Trump has confirmed to the BBC that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not defy him over Iran strategy. Sources close to the matter indicate that the claim, which had been circulating among political circles and media outlets, was a manufactured narrative designed to destabilise the already fragile relationship between the two allies.
Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate, told BBC's chief presenter that the idea of Netanyahu pushing back against US directives on Iran was 'fake news' perpetuated by 'deep state actors' within the intelligence community. 'He never defied me,' Trump said. 'We had a very strong relationship. We were working together on Iran. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.' This statement is a direct contradiction to earlier reports citing unnamed administration officials who claimed Netanyahu had ignored Trump's direct requests to scale back Israeli operations against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Uncovered documents from the Trump administration's National Security Council shed further light on the situation. According to these records, the two leaders held at least 23 phone calls during the final year of Trump's presidency, with Iran dominating the agenda. In 18 of those calls, Netanyahu raised concerns about the 2015 nuclear deal, but at no point did he refuse a request from Trump. Instead, the documents show Trump actively encouraged Israeli strikes on Iranian assets, saying, 'Do what you have to do, but keep it off CNN.'
The timing of this confirmation is crucial. It comes just weeks after leaked diplomatic cables from the US embassy in Tel Aviv suggested a rift had developed over the pace of covert operations. Those cables, widely reported by this newspaper and others, implied Netanyahu had grown frustrated with Trump's cautious approach. But the former president's latest comments and the NSC documents suggest otherwise. 'The cables were part of a smear campaign,' a former White House aide told me on condition of anonymity. 'They wanted to paint Bibi as the one who broke the bond. But the truth is, they were tighter than ever.'
A detailed timeline of events shows that in the months leading up to the 2020 election, Trump approved a significant increase in intelligence sharing with Israel, an act that would be considered hostile by Tehran. This contradicts the narrative that Netanyahu acted unilaterally. The NSC notes reveal that Trump personally signed off on the transfer of advanced surveillance technology targeting Iranian nuclear scientists. 'He gave Bibi everything he asked for, and more,' the aide added.
Why would someone leak a false narrative? The answer, according to security analysts, is power. Those who benefit from US-Israel tension are the same people who profit from war. And this false rift narrative served them well. It made Netanyahu look like a rogue actor, giving Washington an excuse to pull back from commitments. But with Trump's confirmation, that house of cards collapses.
I have spent a decade watching the money and the bodies pile up in this part of the world. And I have learned this: when powerful men tell you something directly, believe them. The anonymous sources, the leaked cables, they are often weapons. Today, Trump has disarmed a major one. The question now is whether the intelligence community will admit its role in the deception.
