The relationship between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is showing signs of strain, with the US leader growing increasingly frustrated with the continued violence in Lebanon.
Mr Trump reportedly told Mr Netanyahu in a phone call this week that he was "[expletive] crazy", while trying to cajole the Israeli leader into pausing the military push deeper into Lebanon where it is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
“I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon,” Mr Trump told The New York Post, confirming that he had called Mr Netanyahu “crazy”. He then tempered his criticism, saying: “I like Bibi a lot, and I work very well with him.”
Much to Mr Trump's chagrin, the situation in Lebanon is now closely linked to talks for a deal with Iran that would address its nuclear programme, end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran is insisting that Israel stop attacking Hezbollah as part of any deal.
“I'd like to separate [an Iran deal and the situation in Lebanon],” Mr Trump said in the Oval Office yesterday. “I'd like to have a separate thing, because it is separate.”
Good luck with that. Publicly at least, Iran has shown no sign that it wants to drop its demands for Lebanon.
Domestically, Mr Netanyahu is facing fierce criticism that he has made a mess of the Israeli military campaign in Lebanon, and Mr Trump's comments have raised fears of Israel losing its military autonomy. Last night, Israel and Lebanon agreed to the implementation of a ceasefire that was supposed to have come into force weeks ago but has seen continued violations.
The President has faced growing bipartisan criticism for being too accommodating to Israel as it has continued bombing in Lebanon and Gaza, and many see him as having been tricked into starting the war with Iran.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said in a hearing this week that the war is a “dumpster fire” and that Mr Netanyahu had been “waiting 40 years to do this".
“It turns out he finally found a president who was both stupid and reckless enough to join him,” he said.
As to when the war might actually end and the Strait of Hormuz reopen, your guess is as good as mine. Mr Trump doesn't exactly provide much clarity.
“I hear the negotiation itself has gone very well, actually very well. I mean, if it happens, it might not happen. Who knows?” Mr Trump said yesterday.
“But if it happens, it could happen, like over the weekend, pretty much the way it is.”
I'm personally looking forward to next week's kick-off of the World Cup, which hopefully will bring some much-needed positive news to North America.
Eye on the White House
Trump to attend Nato summit despite tension over Iran war
Mr Trump will attend the Nato summit in Turkey next month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday, ending months of speculation over whether he would appear.
Speaking at a congressional hearing, Mr Rubio acknowledged the President’s frustration with some Nato allies after several countries declined to support the US military campaign against Iran.
But he said Mr Trump would attend the alliance gathering in Ankara on July 7 and 8.
“The United States is still in the Nato alliance and we’ll be there in Turkey to talk about all these topics,” Mr Rubio said. “The President himself will be attending the next Nato meeting of heads of state, where all these points will be made clear.”
Since the outbreak of the war in Iran on February 28, several Nato members have denied access to airspace for US military operations and declined to contribute ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
What's Washington talking about?
Mortgage man's moves Mr Trump has appointed a housing official with no national security experience as acting director of national intelligence. Bill Pulte, 38, will oversee America's sprawling national security apparatus at a time of global tension and conflicts. The loyalist leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has used his position to push for investigations into several of Mr Trump's perceived enemies for alleged mortgage fraud. None have yet resulted in criminal charges.
Second course The White House Correspondents' Association dinner has been rescheduled for July 24, nearly three months after the annual event was postponed following a shooting. The black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians in Washington was postponed after a man stormed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the event on April 25, with Mr Trump in attendance.
Truth tornado Anyone with the dubious honour of following Mr Trump on Truth Social will have noticed that his posting, always prolific, has reached a fever pitch. In May he posted 27 times a day on average, according to a count by the Daily Beast. Often the posts are meaningless, but sometimes they are market-moving news, meaning journalists like myself don't have the luxury of shushing his messages.
Spotlight: Gaza reconstruction stalls as Iran war diverts focus from Trump’s Board of Peace
Mr Trump declared “the war in Gaza is over” on February 19, the day of the official launch of his Board of Peace.
Speaking in Washington accompanied by representatives from 40 countries, he said the US would contribute $10 billion towards the strip's reconstruction, with other nations pledging another $7 billion.
The money was intended to support the vast task of rebuilding and economically redeveloping the enclave after much of it was reduced to rubble during two years of Israeli bombardment. Estimated reconstruction costs could exceed $70 billion.
“This is about rebuilding lives, not just rebuilding buildings,” Mr Trump said at the US Institute of Peace, which has since been renamed after him. The people of Gaza, he added, had “suffered beyond imagination”.
Months later, reconstruction has yet to begin.
Observers said momentum behind the Gaza initiative slowed sharply after the outbreak of the Iran war, launched shortly after the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, as political attention and diplomatic energy shifted away from Gaza.
“The Iran war has taken the spotlight,” a source familiar with diplomatic efforts told The National, adding that the current situation could not continue indefinitely. “But how it ends could have ramifications throughout the region.”
“No one is happy with the status quo.”
Only in America
World Cup watchers: AI will be 'catch-up plan' for those missing work
The 2026 Fifa World Cup is set to hugely increase artificial intelligence use among workers in the US, a survey has shown.
The poll found 65 per cent of respondents say they plan to use AI tools to make up for the time they spend watching World Cup matches during the working day.
The survey, created by Pennsylvania-based technology company Qlik and conducted by Censuswide, also found 90 per cent indicated they are likely to watch World Cup matches while at work.
James Fisher, chief strategy officer at Qlik, said the World Cup would be an unconventional test to see if AI lives up to the hype in terms of boosting work efficiency.
Managers who try to prevent employees from watching face an uphill battle, he added.
Read more
The National produces newsletters across an array of subjects. You can sign up here. To receive The Editor's Briefing, our Editor-in-Chief's weekly newsletter that rounds up the top stories, sign up here.
