Day after Donald Trump urged for the cancellation of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, the Israeli PM said on Thursday that he would continue to work with US President to “defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and quickly expand the circle of peace.”
In a post on X, Netanyahu wrote: “Thank you, President Trump, for your moving support for me and your tremendous support for Israel and the Jewish people. We will continue to work together to defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and quickly expand the circle of peace.”
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He shared the message with a photo of himself and Trump holding hands, just hours after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered his first public address since the ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
תודה לך הנשיא טראמפ על תמיכתך המרגשת בי ועל תמיכתך האדירה בישראל ובעם היהודי.
נמשיך לעבוד יחד כדי להביס את אויבינו המשותפים, לשחרר את חטופינו ולהרחיב במהרה את מעגל השלום.
הודעה ברשת ״Truth” מנשיא ארה”ב דונלד טראמפ:
״ביבי ואני עברנו עכשיו יחד דרך גיהנום, במאבק מול אויב ותיק,… pic.twitter.com/cqSEQ19hC9
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 26, 2025
In a televised speech aired on Thursday, Khamenei downplayed the impact of US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which he claimed “did nothing significant.”
According to The Guardian, Khamenei said: “They attacked our nuclear facilities, which of course would merit criminal prosecution in international courts, but they did nothing significant.”
He also responded to Trump’s earlier claims of having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme: “He exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration – anyone who has heard these words has understood that there is another truth behind these words.”
In his remarks, Khamenei also rejected what he called Trump’s demand that Iran “surrender”: “The American President indicated in one of his statements that Iran must surrender. Surrender! It is no longer a question of enrichment, nor of the nuclear industry, but of the surrender of Iran,” he said.
“Such an event will never happen. It will never happen.”
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“Ridiculous witch hunt”
Trump, in a lengthy post on Truth Social, lavished praise on Netanyahu for his wartime leadership and called the corruption charges a “ridiculous witch hunt” and a “horror show.”
He suggested that Netanyahu should be pardoned, saying, “It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu.” Trump’s comments come as Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli PM to stand trial, faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery in three separate cases.
Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party, thanked Trump for his support during the recent conflict with Iran but warned against meddling in Israel’s legal process. “We don’t expect foreign leaders to offer cover for political allies facing trial,” he said, suggesting Trump’s remarks were meant to pressure Netanyahu ahead of ceasefire negotiations.
Opposition MP Gilad Kariv responded by invoking Jewish legal tradition, saying “no person is above the law—not even a prime minister.” Netanyahu, 75, denies all wrongdoing and has claimed the cases were fabricated by a biased legal establishment and hostile media. He is accused of accepting luxury gifts from wealthy allies and manipulating media coverage in exchange for political favours. If convicted, he could face jail time.
