Trump: Israel never talked me into war with Iran
New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump has denied being dragged into war with Iran by Israel as he faces increasing criticism over the conflict, including from segments of his own base.
“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,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Trump also said “the results in Iran will be amazing” in the post, which came as the United States prepared to resume negotiations in Pakistan although Iran was undecided.
There is no publicly available evidence directly linking Iran to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. In March, U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard told Congress that Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon.
In the months leading up to the conflict, President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that U.S. airstrikes in June had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.
Critics of the administration have argued that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the U.S., suggesting the conflict primarily advances Israel’s interests while putting American safety and economic stability at risk.
Following the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior officials, and hundreds of civilians, Iran responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a sharp rise in global oil prices.
In the U.S., the cost of energy has surged, contributing to the country’s inflation rates. The cost of 1 gallon of gasoline is still above $4 despite the fact that its cost was below $3 prior to the outbreak of the war between Washington and Tehran.
In light of rising discontentment, many who are against the president see Israel as the true instigator of the conflict, considering Trump an ineffective leader under the thumb of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“He entered a war – got pulled into it by Bibi Netanyahu. Let’s be clear about that – entered a war that the American people do not want,” Kamala Harris, Trump’s 2024 Democratic opponent, said last week.
During the 2024 campaign, President Donald Trump positioned himself as a “peace” candidate, pledging to end ongoing conflicts that began under previous administrations.
His National Security Strategy, released last year, also outlined plans for the United States to shift its foreign policy and military focus away from the Middle East toward the Western Hemisphere.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who has visited Trump in the U.S. six times over the past year—has continued to advocate a hardline stance against Iran.
In Washington, some of the strongest support for military action has come from close allies of Israel, reinforcing calls for a tougher approach toward Tehran.
On Monday, Trump renewed his attacks on the mainstream media for its coverage of the war with Iran.
“I watch and read the FAKE NEWS Pundits and Polls in total disbelief. 90% of what they say are lies and made-up stories, and the polls are rigged, much as the 2020 Presidential Election was rigged,” the U.S. president wrote.
In Iran, the U.S.–Israeli strikes triggered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and were followed by sustained Iranian attacks across the Gulf that lasted nearly six weeks.
The conflict is currently paused, with the possibility of fresh talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Pakistan later this week. However, both sides have warned that fighting could resume if an agreement is not reached, with the two-week ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday.
“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!” Trump posted.
