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The Guardian World1 min read
‘Israel never talked me into the war with Iran,’ Trump says
TL;DR
Donald Trump denies being influenced by Israel to go to war with Iran, attributing his stance to the October 7 attacks. He maintains that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons.
Key points
- Trump denies being influenced by Israel regarding Iran war
- Cites October 7 attacks as motivation against Iran
- No evidence linking Iran to attacks on Israel
- Critics say war benefits Israel, not US interests
Mentioned in this story
Donald TrumpIsraelHamasTulsi Gabbard
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 social media post on Monday.
There is no public evidence linking Iran directly to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel. Trump’s own intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, also testified to Congress in March that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.
Over the eight months before the war on Iran, Trump had been saying repeatedly that the US air strikes on the country in June had “obliterated” its nuclear programme.
Many of Trump’s critics have argued that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the US and the war only advances the interests of Israel at the expense of the safety and prosperity of Americans.
Iran responded to the initial US-Israeli strikes of the war – which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, other top officials and hundreds of civilians on February 28 – by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices soaring.
In the US, energy costs have skyrocketed, fuelling inflation. The price of 1 gallon (3.8 litres) of petrol has remained more than $4, up from less than $3 before the war, more than a week after a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran came into effect.
A recent poll by NBC News suggested that two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war.
With dissatisfaction growing, many of the president’s critics have pointed to Israel as the real power behind the war, portraying Trump as a weak leader following Israeli 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.
Harris served as vice president in President Joe Biden’s administration, which provided diplomatic and military support for Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza for 15 months.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump presented himself as the “peace” candidate, promising to end wars that were started under previous administrations.
Q&A
What did Trump say about Israel's influence on the Iran war?
Trump stated that Israel never pressured him into the war with Iran, citing the October 7 attacks as his motivation.
What evidence exists regarding Iran's nuclear weapons program?
There is no public evidence linking Iran to the October 7 attacks, and Trump's intelligence chief testified that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon.
How have critics responded to Trump's actions regarding Iran?
Critics argue that Iran did not pose an imminent threat and that the war primarily serves Israel's interests rather than those of the United States.
What has Trump claimed about US air strikes on Iran?
Trump has claimed that US air strikes in June obliterated Iran's nuclear program, reiterating this point multiple times before the war.
