‘It could have forced them to act’: Trump rejects Rubio’s claim about Israel’s pressure to attack Iran | World news

When asked directly whether Israel had pressured him to authorize the use of force, Trump dismissed the idea. “No. I could have forced them to act,” he told reporters. He maintained that negotiations with Iran were unlikely to prevent violence and said he believed Tehran was preparing to strike first. “If we didn’t do it, they would attack first,” he said, quoted by the guardian.

Rubio’s explanation fuels the reaction of the Capitol

Tensions flared on Capitol Hill after Rubio suggested that Saturday’s attacks were aimed in part to prevent Iranian retaliation against American assets following Israeli action that Washington expected.

Speaking after a classified briefing alongside CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Gen. Dan Caine, Rubio said U.S. officials were aware that an Israeli move was imminent and anticipated an Iranian response against U.S. forces.

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“It was very clear that if Iran was attacked by anyone, the United States or Israel or anyone else, they were going to respond and respond against the United States. The orders had been delegated to the field commanders. It was automatic. And in fact, it turned out to be true because, in fact, within an hour of the initial attack on the leadership complex, the missile forces in the south and in the north had actually already been activated for launch. In fact, they had already been pre-positioned,” Rubio had said. said.

His comments deepened suspicions among lawmakers of all parties that Israeli security concerns, rather than strictly American interests, determined the timing of the attacks.

Iran clings to Rubio’s comments

Following his comments, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States had decided to enter the war on Israel’s behalf. “Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: the United States has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There were never any so-called Iranian ‘threats,'” Araghchi said in a post on X.

“Both American and Iranian bloodshed is therefore the responsibility of Israel First. The American people deserve better and should take their country back,” he added.

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Netanyahu’s long campaign against Tehran

The perception that the confrontation primarily advances Israeli goals has been reinforced by comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly pressured Washington to confront Iran’s leadership. In recent months, Netanyahu has met with Trump several times, including last month.

After the latest attacks (one of which killed Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei), Netanyahu framed the moment as the culmination of a decades-long effort to dismantle what he calls a terrorist regime.