WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Donald Trump said on Feb 2 that he’s having to make “tough phone calls” to stop countries taking advantage of the US after a diplomatic firestorm over the abrasive nature of his conversations with leaders of Australia and Mexico, and a public warning to Iran.

“The world is in trouble, but we’re going to straighten it out, OK? That’s what I do -I fix things,” Trump told a National Prayer Breakfast meeting in Washington amid consternation in diplomatic circles over his style, temperament, approach to some religions, and his dissing of allies.

On Thursday, Trump reopened an old adversarial front that had been pacified by the Obama administration -much to New Delhi’s advantage -with a stern warning to Tehran, saying “Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile” and it “should have been thankful for the terrible deal the US made with them!” Trump also repudiated a deal reached by the Obama administration with Australia to take in 1,250 refugees, saying he will re-examine it. The public disavowal of the agreement with one of Washington’s staunchest allies came amid reports that Trump had abruptly ended a phone conversation with Australia’s PM Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday after accusing him of trying to ship off the “next Boston bombers” to the US. Trump reportedly told Turnbull that the conversation was “the worst call by far” he had taken that day, after the pleasant exchanges with Russian President Putin and three other world leaders.

Trump himself confirmed the disagreement with Australia by tweeting “Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!” Diplomats pointed out that the agreement involved around 1,200 refugees, not “thousands of illegal immigrants”, many of them persecuted minorities from Iran and Iraq.Many of them were shocked by the long-term implications of the Trump style. “#Australia may be the single most effective+loyal ally of the US. This is no way to treat a true friend,” said Bush-era diplomat Nicholas Burns.

Trump is also reported to have threatened to send US troops to Mexico, according to leaked White House transcripts quoted by AP.

“You have a bunch of bad hombres down there. You aren’t doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take care of it,” Trump told Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Some accounts characterised Trump’s tone as jocular, even as Mexico denied Trump made any such threat.