From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 13, 2025
Trump again floats peace between Israel and Iran in Knesset speech
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
US President Donald Trump says that Iran “took a big hit.”
“Didn’t they take a big hit? Boy oh boy,” he says as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nods.
He says it would be great if a peace deal could be hammered out between Iran and Israel. “Would you be happy with that? Wouldn’t it be nice?” he asks Netanyahu. “Because I think they want to. I think they’re tired.”
Trump says Iran is not restarting their nuclear program. “The last thing they want to do is start digging holes again in mountains that just got blown up.”
“They want to survive, OK?” he says.
He says his team “can get that deal done easy, but first we have to get Russia done,” presumably a reference to Trump’s efforts to secure a peace deal in the war in Ukraine.
Iran, which has called for Israel’s elimination and funded a network of terror groups that seek its destruction, has rejected the notion of normalizing its relations with Jerusalem.
Turning to Lebanon, Trump says that “the dagger of Hezbollah, long aimed at Israel’s throat, has been totally shattered.”
He expresses support for the new Lebanese government’s efforts to permanently disarm Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, “and build a thriving state at peace with its neighbors.”
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