Updated

US President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18, 2026, ahead of Israel's October 27 election, predicting in a phone call that Netanyahu would win. Netanyahu released a video of the call in which Trump suggested the two could again attack Iran together, drawing criticism from Iranian state media, which labeled Netanyahu a war criminal wanted by the International Criminal Court. The endorsement comes as Netanyahu seeks an edge in a closely contested election, with Trump separately describing Russian and Chinese support for Iran as "limited."