Trump: 'I started Iran war, would be no Israel without me'

US President Donald Trump verified he described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as 'f****ing crazy' and noted that he had kept him out of prison during their Monday discussion, according to an interview on the New York Post podcast 'Pod Force One' with Miranda Devine that aired on Wednesday.

Initial reports about Trump's remarks surfaced on Monday, though an Israeli source later challenged the details.

Trump explained in the discussion that he was not furious but felt somewhat annoyed by Netanyahu's repeated clashes with Lebanon.

'I like Bibi a lot,' Trump noted. 'I'm a wartime president, he's a wartime prime minister.'

Trump also rejected claims that Netanyahu had manipulated him into entering the conflict.

'I'm the one that started it,' Trump stated, stressing that Iran must not obtain nuclear arms since 'pertains to Israel as they would probably be the first one to get hit.'

'If there wasn't me, there would be no Israel,' he continued.

Khamenei may be involved in negotiations

Trump addressed current talks with Iran, noting that Iranian officials indicated Mojtaba Khamenei was handling decisions, though Trump could not confirm this as he 'had not had the pleasure of meeting him.'

'I'd like to meet him; we probably will meet depending on how it all works out,' he said.

Trump expressed that the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is unlikely to persist until Labor Day.

'I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,' Trump remarked.

Regarding steps that seemed at odds with prior comments, Trump observed that while puzzling the Iranians offered an advantage, his moves stemmed from the 'rapidly changing' conditions in Iran.

'I could give you an answer and then in twenty minutes go into the office and...realize my answer is now incorrect,' he explained.

Trump says Vance and Rubio teaming up for 2028 run would be unbeatable

US President Donald Trump stated in a podcast interview broadcast on Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Rubio would prove unbeatable if they partnered for the 2028 presidential campaign.

Both officials are viewed as potential candidates for the 2028 Republican nomination, and Rubio's recent appearance at the White House podium earned acclaim from Republicans along with some Democrats for his polished delivery, which featured jokes and a 1990s hip-hop nod to Iran's stance in talks.

'I would think that JD and Marco as a team would be very hard to beat,' Trump told Miranda Devine in the Wednesday podcast. 'It's interesting, human thing, the human equation. So I watch them together, they get along great,' he added.

Trump has kept the succession conversation alive even while Vance and Rubio minimize their 2028 goals.

No candidates have officially declared for the November 2028 election, yet positioning is underway. Democratic hopefuls are already competing for a 2028 presidential bid, indicating a wide-open contest without an obvious party leader to replace Trump.