US President Donald Trump told Kan News on Thursday that it is "very likely" he would support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections.
However, Trump added that before he commits, he will need to see who else is running.
He added that he maintains a good relationship with Netanyahu but insisted that Netanyahu must be "more rational." At the same time, he added that he is willing to meet with Netanyahu.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal published new details about the talks between Trump and Netanyahu, noting that the discussions are reportedly not as friendly as in the past.
According to one source cited in the report, Trump expressed anger over the extent of destruction in Lebanon and said to Netanyahu during a call: "Why are you blowing up buildings? Stop blowing up buildings."
In other calls, Trump expressed concern that the conflict with Iran could have economic repercussions for the United States. The report said he became increasingly focused on the potential costs of a prolonged confrontation and was less receptive to arguments for additional military action.
According to the report, Trump told advisers that Netanyahu frequently pressed for further operations. A person who heard the remarks said Trump complained that no one could handle Netanyahu and said that the Israeli leader "wants to bomb everyone."
A senior administration official quoted in the report said many of their discussions followed a similar pattern, with Netanyahu presenting reasons for additional action and Trump listening to those arguments.
During talks about a possible agreement with Iran, Netanyahu reportedly challenged the idea that Tehran could be trusted to comply with any deal. He questioned how the United States would verify Iranian compliance and pointed to Iran’s past conduct as a reason for skepticism.