President Donald Trump has said that the United States will help to defend Israel “if needed” after its wave of airstrikes against Iran on Thursday night provoked a retaliatory drone attack by Tehran.
The president made the comment in a private phone call with Fox News journalist Bret Baier, who relayed the message on air, adding that Trump had been aware of Israel’s pre-dawn raid before it commenced but that the U.S. had played no part in it.
Baier revealed that Trump had had several phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week and saw the ultimate goal of the airstrikes as driving Iran back to the negotiating table as talks continue about de-escalating its rogue nuclear program.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see,” Trump told Fox.
“There are several people in leadership that will not be coming back.”
In one of his calls with Netanyahu on Monday, the president had advised his Israeli counterpart against the attacks, according to The Wall Street Journal, telling him that the negotiations should be allowed to run their course before military options were considered.
The president’s advice went unheeded as Israel embarked on a series of deadly strikes on more than 100 targets last night, killing General Hossein Salami, the leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff to its armed forces, among others.
Iran has since retaliated by launching more than 200 drones at Israel.
Like Trump, U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, moved quickly to deny American involvement in Israel’s assault.
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” he said. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.
“Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.
“President Trump and the administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners.”
Iranian state TV, however, was quick to signal its suspicion of Washington, rejecting Trump and Rubio’s denials and accusing the administration of being “complicit” in an attack that has “killed children.”
Steve Witkoff, his Middle East envoy, was due to meet Iranian officials in Oman on Sunday for the latest round of talks on the potential de-escalation of Tehran’s nuclear activities. It is unclear whether those talks will still proceed in light of last night’s events.
Israel’s strikes – dubbed Operation Rising Lion – were necessary due to Iran’s continued movement to “weaponize” enriched uranium, Netanyahu said in a statement, arguing the assault was critical to “Israel’s very survival.”
The country has since declared a state of emergency and said the strikes against Iran would “continue for as many days as it takes.”
Earlier in the day, shortly before the bombing campaign began, Trump had abruptly left a White House picnic for members of Congress without suggesting anything was wrong.
“As long as I think there will be an agreement, I don’t want them going in,” he had said of the tensions between Israel and Iran at the event, adding that he would “love to avoid a conflict.”
Pressed on whether or not an eruption was “imminent”, the president had conceded: “It looks like something could well happen.”
On the possibility of ultimately resolving the American-led talks with Iran successfully, Trump again expressed frustration at their slow progress and said the Iranians “are going to have to give us some things that they’re not willing to give us right now.”
The president will attend a National Security Council meeting at 11 am ET on Friday morning to discuss the latest tensions in the Middle East.
