On Thursday Former President Donald Trump claimed, in an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, that Israel would not “necessarily … have to” end Iran’s theocratic regime if he was voted back into the White House, suggesting the Republican nominee would encourage peace talks between the two enemies.

Hewitt asked Trump whether he believed he could “get Israel and our Gulf State allies to get rid of that [Iranian] regime before they get a nuke,” to which Trump, 78, responded that Iran may be willing to negotiate a settlement instead.

“Had Israel followed Biden’s advice, they would be waiting for a bomb to drop onto them. But fortunately, you know, Netanyahu calls me quite a bit, and we talk alot. I always say, ‘Make up your own mind,’ and Bibi has his own opinions.”

“Netanyahu put them in a very good negotiating position. I think he could survive this. I think he’s in position where he can fight them or he can make a good deal, a real deal,” said Netanyahu.

Trump believes that “Iran right now can be spoken to very easily. Three or four months ago, or a few months ago, I think it would have been much harder,” he said.

Trump also said he could reach a similar understanding with Chinese President Xi Jinping — who he said would treat Vice President Kamala Harris “like a baby, he’d take all the candy away very quickly and she wouldn’t have any idea what happened,” he said, adding, “It would be like a grand chess master playing a beginner. We would lose our country or be in World War III. She’d get exasperated. She’s in no way able to handle him. He’s a fierce individual.” Xi would rather take Taiwan under the Biden-Harris administration than his own.