Trump Responds to Israeli Strikes on Iran

President Donald Trump finally spoke out following Israel’s airstrikes on Iran that occurred on Thursday night. Speaking to Fox News, he shared his thoughts and followed up with several posts on social media.

Israeli military forces executed a significant strike aimed at Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to Iranian state media, the operation resulted in the death of a top commander from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. After the White House made a statement late Thursday, Trump mentioned that, while they were aware of the strike beforehand, the US had no involvement.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb,” he emphasized, expressing a hope that negotiations could resume. He noted, though, that if Iran retaliated, the US would defend both itself and Israel.

Trump reiterated that the objective remains to bring Iran back to the negotiation table.

On Friday, he delivered a more explicit warning to Iran, suggesting that further Israeli operations were planned. He remarked on the involvement of certain Iranian hardliners who may not have been fully aware of the impending actions against them. “They are all dead, and it’s only going to get worse,” he observed, reflecting on the casualties and destruction, while still urging for a deal to be reached.

In a rather stark declaration, he stated, “Iran has to make a deal without anything left. We’re going to save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.” The urgency in his tone suggested that he believed time was running out.

In another social media post, Trump noted that he had given Iran a 60-day timeline to engage with the US, which, apparently, passed on Friday. “Today is the 61st day,” he pointed out.

The discussions with Iran over those 60 days reportedly progressed slowly, especially as Tehran showed commitment to enriching grade-level nuclear materials. Previously, Trump emphasized that any future agreements should not allow Iran to enrich uranium.

Following the strikes on Thursday, the Israeli Defense Forces released a statement outlining their objectives. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared a special state of emergency. They reported that numerous Israeli jets conducted strikes against various military and nuclear targets in Iran.

According to the IDF, the threat of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons is more pressing than ever and poses a significant risk to Israel and the wider world. They affirmed their duty to protect their citizens and remain prepared to take action as necessary.