ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated:

US President Donald Trump told the Financial Times on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "won’t have any choice" but to accept a deal with Iran.

“I call the shots. I call all the shots," said Trump. "He doesn’t call the shots.”

He added that Sunday's Iranian missile attack on Israel will not "have any impact on the deal," according to the FT.

“We’ll see how it ends up," he said. "But they were attacks that did not kick at all."

"It’s one of those things that’s been going for 3,000 years, or 47 years, depending on how you count,” Trump added.

Anti-missile batteries fire interception missiles toward incoming ballistic missiles launched from Lebanon, as seen in northern Israel, during the war with Iran and Hezbollah and ongoing missile fire toward Israel, March 16, 2026.
Anti-missile batteries fire interception missiles toward incoming ballistic missiles launched from Lebanon, as seen in northern Israel, during the war with Iran and Hezbollah and ongoing missile fire toward Israel, March 16, 2026. (credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)

On Sunday, Trump asked Netanyahu to avoid striking Iran in retaliation for the recent Iranian missile attack on Israel, N12 news reported.

Trump further told KAN News that Israel "has responded enough, no need for more."

Trump: US 'very close' to Iran deal

Later on Sunday, Trump told Axios that the US is "very close to a final deal with Iran."

"I don't want it to blow up because of what is happening now," said Trump.

Trump added that the Iran strikes "didn't hurt anybody," saying that he hopes Israel does not retaliate. "If Netanyahu strikes them back, it's just gonna keep going like the last 47 years, or last 3,000 years," said Trump.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump urged Iran to get back to the negotiating table. "What I would suggest to Iran: You've shot your missiles, that's enough. Get back to the table and make a deal," Trump told Fox News.

He also told Fox that he was unaware of the strikes on Lebanon, contrary to earlier reports, and that he was angry about them.

Trump says Iran attacks will not affect his decision-making

Trump reiterated to the FT that Sunday's attacks will not affect his decision-making on an Iran deal. “The deal may make it on its own merit, or not, but this will not have any effect on it,” he said.

Trump added that he would consider a ground raid on Iran if negotiations failed.

“It means two things,” said Trump. “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.”

Yonah Jeremy Bob, Amichai Stein, and Corinne Baum contributed to this report.