Donald Trump has pushed back sharply against claims that Israel dragged the United States into war with Iran, insisting in his first public comments to the press since the weekend operation that it was he who may have driven events — not the other way around.
Asked directly whether Israel had pulled America into the conflict, Trump said: “No, I might have forced their hand.” He explained that during ongoing negotiations with Iran he had become convinced Tehran was preparing to strike first. “We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack first, I felt strongly about that. So if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand,” he said.
The remarks appeared to contradict the account given by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told lawmakers during a briefing on Operation Epic Fury: “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces. And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”
The tension between the two accounts drew fierce criticism from prominent voices within Trump’s own MAGA base. Conservative commentator Matt Walsh wrote: “So [Rubio is] flat out telling us that we’re in a war with Iran because Israel forced our hand. This is basically the worst possible thing he could have said.”
The controversy unfolded as the conflict continued to escalate on Tuesday, with the US and Israel launching a fresh bombing raid on the Iranian capital Tehran. Israel issued warnings to civilians in Persian to evacuate the Hakimiya Industrial Zone and the area around Payam Airport in Karaj ahead of strikes on military targets, following an overnight barrage that the Israelis said had destroyed key government and security compounds in the city.
Across the wider region, multiple US embassies were placed on high alert after consulates in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait came under attack. The State Department ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family members from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan and the UAE, and urged American citizens to leave more than a dozen countries in the region. With large portions of regional airspace closed, however, many remained unable to depart. A government source indicated that more than one million Americans are believed to be in the region.
The objectives of the operation have also come under scrutiny following mixed signals from senior officials. Vice President JD Vance said on Fox News that the primary aim was to ensure Iran could not acquire a nuclear weapon, while a White House official separately told the Daily Mail that the three goals were to destroy the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missiles, its missile industry and its navy — making no mention of nuclear facilities or regime change.
Trump himself has shifted his public position on the expected duration of the conflict. Having initially suggested it would last four to five weeks, he has since said the US has the capability to engage “far longer” if necessary, adding that “the big wave hasn’t even happened” and dismissing Iranian requests for peace talks with a post on Truth Social reading simply: “Too late.”
