Trump admits to using profanity with Netanyahu , looks forward to meeting with Khamenei

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that his phone call with  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening was "highly tense" and that he used "harsh terms and direct criticism."

This confirmation came after US media reports, including "Axios" and "ABC", spoke of Trump's explicit rebuke of Netanyahu against the background of the latter's threat to bomb the southern suburbs of Beirut, which Trump considered a step that could torpedo the ongoing talks with Tehran to end the war in the Middle East.

In an interview with the New York Post, Trump admitted that he had told Netanyahu phrases such as, "Are you crazy?" He added that he was "disturbed by his ongoing fighting in Lebanon," but at the same time stressed that the relationship between them is "very good" and that he "admires him."

A White House official referred to Trump's posts on Truth Social, where he thanked Netanyahu for backing down from the Beirut bombing.

Iranian reports had spoken of Tehran's suspension of talks with Washington due to the Israeli escalation in Lebanon, and Tel Aviv's threat to resume strikes on the southern suburbs.

Desire to meet with the Iranian leader after the end of the war 

Trump confirmed that he called Netanyahu "crazy," but made it clear that they "worked together very well" and that their recent disagreement does not cancel their existing cooperation in light of the ongoing war.

Trump expressed his rejection of Netanyahu's threat to attack the southern suburbs, warning that any escalation could lead to the collapse of US-Iran negotiations aimed at ending the war that began on February 28.

During the interview, Trump touched on the Iranian file, saying that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "fully involved" in making decisions related to the course of the war and the settlement.

He noted that Iranians "have a lot of respect for him," especially after the killing of his father, the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and members of his family in Israeli raids, and Trump concluded by saying that he would "like to meet with Mojtaba Khamenei" after a peace deal was reached, referring to his desire to open a direct political track with the Iranian leadership.

Rubio defends Trump's cognitive abilities 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly defended President Donald Trump's cognitive abilities during a fraught House hearing, outright rejecting accusations raised by Democratic lawmakers about the president's mental health.

Rubio said the disagreement with Trump could be political or related to his decisions, "but what is certain is that he is not a sleeping president and does not suffer from any cognitive disturbance," and his response came after Rep. Ted Lowe showed videos showing Trump asleep during meetings, saying it was evidence of "something wrong," which Rubio called "ridiculous talk" inappropriate for a foreign policy committee at a sensitive moment.

Trump is working "day and night at an inhumane pace," despite turning 80 soon, the secretary said, adding that his health is not as worrisome as former President Joe Biden did at the end of his term.

A  recent poll by The Washington Post, ABC News, and Ipsos showed that 59 percent of respondents believe Donald Trump does not have the mental capacity to lead the country, and 55 percent said he is not in good physical health, despite his latest medical report confirming that he is "still in excellent health."

Tense session and mutual accusations amid criticism of war in Iran 

  The debate turned into a heated political confrontation, with Democratic lawmakers accusing the Trump administration of mismanaging the war in Iran, while Rubio angrily responded, "What's this circus?" after Rep. Sarah Jacobs asked about a strange gift he received from the president.

The two sides traded accusations, with Rep. Ted Lowe responding to Rubio by saying, "Keep lying," a reference to what he saw as an attempt to cover up the president's declining mental abilities.

Although Trump has reduced the frequency of his domestic commutes compared to his first years in office, he remains remarkably active on his foreign trips and answers questions from reporters more often than his Democratic predecessor.

The discussions come at a time of mounting criticism of the war in Iran, intensifying the political debate within Congress over the administration's performance.