Trump says he was ‘very much in charge’ of Israel’s June 13 attack on Iran
Assalamu alaikum - US President Donald Trump has claimed he was responsible for Israel’s initial June 13 strike on Iran, contradicting earlier US statements that Israel acted alone.
Trump told reporters that Israel struck first and that the attack was “very, very powerful,” adding “I was very much in charge of that.” He called that first strike “a great day for Israel,” saying it caused more damage than later actions combined.
His remarks came while urging Republicans to change Senate rules to pass laws by simple majority, arguing his party should act decisively in the same way he described Israel’s move against Iran.
On June 13 Israel launched a devastating assault on Iran that reportedly killed several senior commanders, scientists, and many civilians. Iran responded with hundreds of missiles fired toward Israel.
The US later joined the campaign by bombing Iran’s major nuclear sites. Early in the conflict Washington had said Israel acted unilaterally and warned Tehran not to target US forces and interests in the region.
A ceasefire followed after Iran launched a missile attack on a US air base in Qatar. Since then Trump has frequently taken credit for the war’s outcome, saying the US “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme, and on Thursday suggested he had been behind the operation from the beginning.
Iranian officials have not given a public, detailed assessment of damage to their nuclear facilities, but they insist their nuclear knowledge endures and that the programme remains viable. The status of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles is also unclear.
Trump ran in part promising to avoid new wars and called himself a peace candidate. During the fighting he faced pressure from parts of his own base to keep America out of the conflict. Lately he has said he wants a deal that could lead Tehran to formally normalize ties with Israel. Talks between the two sides had been planned for June before the strikes, but with the nuclear issue quiet now, there’s little urgency in Washington to resume negotiations, and Iranian officials remain skeptical of US overtures.
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