Trump Endorses Netanyahu, Warns U.S. Will “Soon Finish the Job” on Iran
Details & Background
The October 27 vote will be Israel’s first national election since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, and it is expected to be close. JTA reported that Netanyahu has been trailing former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot. Netanyahu has made Iran the center of his campaign. In an i24News interview on Saturday, he warned that an Eisenkot win would allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, using the slogan “It’s right or nuclear.”
Netanyahu thanked Trump within hours. “Thank you, President Trump, for the tremendous support and the joint work. Together we will complete the mission!” he wrote on X. Later on Sunday, he vowed to bring down the Islamic Republic, according to Iran International. “We must bring this regime down once and for all,” Netanyahu said. In an interview on Fox News’ Life, Liberty & Levin, he warned Americans that Iran’s aim is to reach “the next target, which is you.”
Tehran answered with its own warning. According to Iran International, Iran’s new defense minister, Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, said Trump should focus on getting U.S. personnel out of the region safely and warned that any new U.S. strike would bring a sweeping response. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that energy prices would fall once the Iran war ends. JTA noted that the war has been unpopular with many American voters and that some U.S. lawmakers have argued it was unnecessary.
Why This Matters to You
The war with Iran reaches American families at the gas pump. JTA reported that the conflict has slowed the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz and driven up gasoline prices. Trump’s warning that the U.S. will “soon finish the job” means the next phase of this conflict could come quickly, and whether the United States has a willing partner in Israel will shape how much of that burden falls on American forces.
The timing raises the stakes even higher. Israelis vote on October 27, and Americans vote in the midterm elections one week later, on November 3. Trump has made clear that he sees Netanyahu as the partner he needs to end the Iranian threat. If Israeli voters choose someone else, Trump has warned that America would have to do the work alone, and he has said he is not inclined to do so. The coming weeks could decide the future of the most dangerous conflict in the world.
