President Donald Trump has strongly defended Israel in a recent post on Truth Social, calling the country a ‘‘great ally’’ and praising its strength and resilience during times of conflict.
In the post, Trump wrote, ‘‘Whether people like Israel or not, they have proven to be a GREAT Ally of the United States of America.’’
Israel has long been considered one of the United States’ closest allies in the Middle East, with cooperation spanning defense, intelligence, and technology sectors.
‘‘Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart and, unlike others…’’
In his post, Trump lauded Israel for its military and strategic capabilities as tensions rise in the Middle East and the US-Iran war. Trump wrote, ‘‘They are Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart…Israel fights hard, and knows how to WIN!’’
He further emphasized Israel’s reliability as a US ally, contrasting it with other nations that he suggested had ‘‘shown their true colors in moments of conflict and stress.’’
Trump made the Truth social post a few hours after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, starting Saturday evening. The statement read, ‘‘From this evening, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until this blockade is lifted’’
Ships traveling from anchoring in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman towards the Strait will be viewed as collaborating with the enemy and ‘‘will be targeted,’’ the IRGC said, warning the ships approaching the Strait.
‘‘Enough is enough’’
A day ago, however, Trump seemed to be frustrated by Israel’s bombing of Lebanon.
On another Truth Social post, Trump wrote on Friday, ‘‘Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!’’
The Israeli-Lebanese truce, which was supported by the United States, went into force at 2100 GMT on Thursday. According to Al Jazeera, the terms of the ceasefire permit Israel to take action in what it considers self-defense.
Since the ceasefire agreement, Israeli soldiers have continued to demolish Lebanese towns in the thicket of the agreed-upon terms of self defense.
According to Al Jazeera, Israeli artillery and machine gun fire have targeted communities on or near the front line, also known as the ‘‘yellow line’’ that the Israeli military claims to have constructed inside southern Lebanon.
Source: Hindustan Times
--Agencies
