Israel's Ambassador to India Reuven Azar has dismissed reports of any rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, saying those hoping to see a wedge between the two leaders will have to "wait a bit more".
In an interview with PTI Videos, the envoy described the reported heated exchanges between Netanyahu and Trump over military operations in Lebanon as "friendly tactical disagreements" that have been "over-interpreted" by those with a political agenda.
He attributed the perceived friction to the leaders' differing personal styles rather than any fundamental strategic divergence.
"I think that a lot of people will be happy to be able to identify a wedge between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, and they have been waiting for that for the last 10 years. I think that we will have to wait a bit more," Azar said.
He stressed that the two countries continue to work closely together and argued that some reports are deliberately exaggerated to create a particular impression.
Trump, however, acknowledged on Wednesday that he had expressed frustration with Netanyahu over the fighting in Lebanon.
Speaking on the "Pod Force One" podcast, the US president was asked about reports that he had called the Israeli leader "effing crazy" and accused him of being ungrateful.
"I did," Trump replied. "I wouldn't say angry. I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon, you know." Azar, however, insisted that Israel and the US remain fully aligned on the broader regional objective of preventing Iran from acquiring a military nuclear capability.
The ambassador noted that, for the first time, the two countries had conducted a joint military operation, describing them as partners working in sync despite occasional public disagreements.
"Although we might have differences when it comes to tactics, I think that we see eye to eye when it comes to what we want to do," he said.
Azar also characterised the broader diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran as a contest between "two world champions of negotiation" attempting to "outsmart one another".
He cautioned against drawing "far-fetched conclusions" from isolated remarks or reports suggesting that talks had stalled.
"If you are consistent and you are patient, at the end of the day, the cards will fall in place," he said.
US-Iran negotiations remain fluid, with both sides issuing conflicting statements on the status of the talks. While Iranian officials have hinted at a possible freeze in negotiations, Trump has repeatedly maintained that diplomacy remains on track.
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