President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran must reach a deal with the U.S. — and suggested an agreement could come within weeks — while also escalating his public defense of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attacking Israel’s president over his refusal to grant a pardon.

“We have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic,” Trump told reporters at the White House. He added that he believes an agreement could be reached within the next month.

Trump also focused on Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, urging President Isaac Herzog to intervene.

“I think the people of Israel should really shame him. He’s disgraceful for not giving it,” Trump said, referring to a pardon. “You have a president that refused to give him a pardon… He should be ashamed of himself.”

Trump claimed Herzog was withholding a pardon to preserve his own authority. “The primary power he’s got is to give pardons, and he’s not,” Trump said, without offering evidence.

Asked whether Netanyahu bore responsibility for security failures ahead of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Trump responded, “I guess everybody’s responsible,” before describing the assault by Hamas as a “sneak attack” that “nobody else would have seen coming.”

He then praised Netanyahu as “a very good wartime prime minister,” pointing to their past cooperation against Iran.

Trump’s comments revive a dispute that surfaced in December, when he claimed Herzog had promised a pardon was “on its way.” Herzog publicly denied the claim, saying no such discussion had taken place and no decision had been made.

Herzog’s office later confirmed that his staff had spoken with a Trump representative about a formal pardon request, but said any decision would follow established legal procedures.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)