United States President Donald Trump stated in a Truth Social post on Monday that Israel did not influence his decision to go to war with Iran.
“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, did.” the post read.
He went on to add, “Just like the results in Venezuela, which the media doesn’t like talking about, the results in Iran will be amazing - And if Iran’s new leaders (Regime Change!) are smart, Iran can have a great and prosperous future! President DJT”
This is not the first time Trump has refuted the notion that Israel forced his hand regarding Iran. In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters that Israel had already planned a preemptive strike on the Islamic Republic. According to Rubio, this action would have triggered retaliation against US troops in the region and prompted the US to launch Operation Epic Fury.
In response, Trump told reporters, “If anything, I might have forced Israel's hand.”
“We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first. If we didn’t act, they were going to strike first. I felt strongly about that,” he stated regarding the strikes on Iran. “It’s something that had to be done.”
Iran's nuclear capabilities the central issue for Trump
Trump has consistently highlighted Iran's nuclear capabilities as a central issue in negotiations and political discussions concerning the conflict.
Last week, Trump claimed that Iran had agreed to abandon its nuclear ambitions during comments to the press outside the White House. “We had to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. They've totally agreed to that. They've agreed to almost everything,” he asserted, despite no deal being reached during the US-Iran talks in Pakistan.
Then, on Sunday, Iran rejected participating in the second round of talks with the United States.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), reported, “Iran stated that its absence from the second round of talks stems from what it calls Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire.”
Reuters contributed to this report.