Netanyahu seeks to appease Trump with latest Iran remarks to the press
Quick Insights
The Bottom Line
Netanyahu denies Israel pushed Trump into Iran war, aiming to reassure the president amid ongoing conflict.
AI Summary
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied on Thursday that Israel had pressured President Donald Trump into conflict with Iran, dismissing reports to that effect as "fake news" during a Jerusalem press conference. Netanyahu's defensive statement—asserting that no one can tell Trump what to do—appeared calculated to reassure the president amid tension over the scope of Israeli military actions in the Middle East. The remarks underscore Netanyahu's concern about maintaining Trump's support at a sensitive moment when U.S.-Israel policy coordination on Iran remains a central issue. Netanyahu's framing suggests he is attempting to preempt any perception that the Israeli government has manipulated Trump's Iran strategy, a concern that could damage their relationship. The exchange reflects broader questions about the boundaries of U.S. involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts under Trump's second administration.
Source Coverage Map
23 of 43 tracked sources covered this story
Following this story?
Get notified when new coverage appears
Other Sources Covering This Story
5 sourcesMultiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.
Video of Iranian soldier being targeted in a Tehran strike is AI generated
Who are Iran’s new leaders? A look at 6 the US placed a bounty on – 2 of whom are already dead
This article is part of a story we're tracking:
Should this be getting more attention?
You Might Have Missed
Related stories from different sources and perspectives
PoliticsTrump and his allies use familiar tactic to help Iran war messaging: attacking the press - Reuters
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi0AFBVV95cUxQb3Jvdk5DRTFHZTZhS0cwd28xcGpXWkhBU2Y5U0EtS3ZMVlNOX1dhUEs3b2JkbnJSNDdidVU2eUc3UXVUSE5HbWMyVmVvdHZPdi04Q2FkbzJZd0Z5VUxtOEVia2N1NHdpWUllVnJpdWdYWUZjdldRSkJrekVLNS1GdmpXWEdfSm1ibE1FaFV3ZEIzYVp2UGtxbmtoMURLNmljZ3ZBSHZveGNua2hEUFpvRWcxTVZubEpYdVQtT0NGSms3bnR3MTVpVWs5b0sycmpB?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump and his allies use familiar tactic to help Iran war messaging: attacking the press</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>
Latest on Iran as Trump says war will end "pretty soon"
President Trump said Thursday that he is not sending troops into Iran, but he added, "if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you," on Thursday. He also said the war is going to be over "pretty soon." CBS News' Eleanor Watson and Willie James Inman report.
PoliticsMAGA ramps up pressure on Trump to dump Cornyn
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">President Trump</a>, already at odds with many MAGA leaders over Iran, is getting pressured hard by MAGA activists not to endorse Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) for reelection. <strong>Why it matters: </strong>This is the most unified, intense, in-his-face MAGA campaign yet to push Trump into picking sides in a pivotal fight — the GOP establishment or his base. Trump was leaning toward backing Cornyn before MAGA went ballistic, officials tell Axios.</p><hr><ul><li>Republican leaders see Cornyn as way more electable than scandal-stained GOP challenger, state Attorney General Ken Paxton. A loss in November could jeopardize Republicans' Senate majority.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Cornyn and Paxton finished atop the field in last week's Republican primary and are headed for a May 26 runoff.</p><ul><li>Trump has said he plans to endorse in the race, and his choice will be viewed as the favorite. </li><...
Government TransparencyTrump’s FCC chair wants American media to work like Iran’s state TV | Caitlin Vogus
<p>If Brendan Carr and the US president’s attacks on the press aren’t stopped, the outcome could be dire</p><p>Over the weekend, Donald Trump fumed on Truth Social about newspapers covering attacks on US tanker aircrafts in Saudi Arabia. Within hours, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/14/fcc-broadcast-permits-iran-war-news">reposted</a> Trump’s rant and vowed to revoke the licenses of broadcasters who air what he called “fake news”. For some extra brownie points, Carr tossed in a line about Trump’s “landslide election victory”, too.</p><p>Early on Monday, Trump completed the sycophantic cycle with a second post <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/16/trump-fcc-chair-broadcast-license-threat-iran-war">announcing</a> that he’s “thrilled” by Carr’s threats and accusing unnamed media outlets of “treason” and a lack of patriotism for reporting on AI fakes linked to Iran. (It’s not clear what Trump w...
PoliticsTrump team applying pressure to media: Tell the war’s story the way we see it - AP News
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxPQ29LMDZQYTdhRHFyRnpnd044TGo1OWNVTGVTMTU0d09mV2FiOXRuR0lxZjhkWHMwTVZTNnRlNGQ3V1M0djI4enNTQ3RYX3pGVGE0XzJzcUN3MmtnV2F2eVhadUUwR3pQdkJwYXg4UzNwaV81RTBEVFRKM3FvR25OMW5qSnNOdE5NYTc4TVo3WUJhd1c2cFdUaGlOSmxTTkRpYjJSSmRkMA?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump team applying pressure to media: Tell the war’s story the way we see it</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>
PoliticsTrump administration denounces CNN for airing messages from Iranian leaders - AP News
<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxNRTlsd1VuRXNUUmNBbmRYOWttTndjbi1tNjI4OG15cHJSMGdMQTZGRTltNUk1eFUtM24xbjdlTXNFUXZVMEhURzRGT016WWZCZnN0VmFQcVRaYTFOSkVoZmpVU3p3c0ppNDhaZGxXd0tWWi1iTmNIQjljVmdZVlRXd2MwMzlUS2IzLUpvdmd2cUpzX3ZlOHRpVWdhcklfa3ZnTlNQbmlQQQ?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump administration denounces CNN for airing messages from Iranian leaders</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>
Trump’s $10 billion TikTok ‘brokerage fee’ is just the tip of the iceberg
Not only is this pay-to-play arrangement with the federal government unprecedented; it also smacks of possible corruption.
Did this story change how you see things?
Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.
The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.
See our sourcesMost Read This Week
Race on to establish globally recognised 'AI-free' logo
Biggest wildfire in Nebraska history continues to burn out of control - abcnews.com
TikTok and Meta risked safety to win algorithm arms race, whistleblowers say
Bank of America reaches proposed, non-binding settlement in Jeffrey Epstein suit
White House registers new ‘alien’-related .gov domains as DOD tackles Trump’s disclosure directive
