Trump says he calls 'all the shots' after Israeli strikes on Iran
In a phone interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, President Donald Trump insisted that he -- not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- calls "all the shots" after renewed fire between Iran and Israel.
Trump told the FT that Netanyahu would have to accept any potential deal struck between the U.S. and Iran. "He won't have any choice," Trump said. "I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn't call the shots," he added.
The president's assertion that he calls "all the shots" over Israel comes despite him reportedly telling Fox News earlier today that he was not happy about Israel's strikes in the Lebanese capital Beirut, where the Israel Defense Forces said it was targeting the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia.
Sunday's subsequent exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran were the first direct attacks since the April 8 ceasefire. But Trump brushed off the severity of the latest developments, saying Sunday's military action "did not kick at all."
"We'll see how it ends up," he told the FT. "It's one of those things that's been going for 3,000 years, or 47 years, depending on how you count."
Sunday's fire will "not going to have any impact" on a possible deal, the president said. "The deal may make it on its own merit, or not." The president also told FT, "I think the deal is going on."
Trump once again threatened military action in Iran in the event that no deal is reached, but he also suggested retaining the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Number one, it would mean that possibly we would go in and take care of the rest of the place that we didn't take care of militarily. Or it would just mean that we would keep the blockade on Iran because the blockade has been probably more powerful than any attack that was ever made on that country," Trump said.
According to FT, the phone interview took place "shortly after" Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday. It is unclear if the call occurred before or after the president's phone call with Axios, where he said he was planning to call Netanyahu and instruct him not to retaliate.
ABC has contacted the White House to request comment on the reported phone call.
-ABC News' Emily Chang and Devin Garbitt
