Donald Trump. Photo: Mandel NGAN / AFP
United States President Donald Trump said that the US army did not take part in the strikes that Israel launched against Iran on Friday night, although Washington was warned in advance about the operation. He said this on Fox News, commenting on the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
According to the American leader, the United States supports Iran’s complete abandonment of nuclear weapons development, but did not take any military action in response or in support of its ally. “We were not part of this operation. We knew about it in advance, but it was Israel’s decision,” Trump said.
He also confirmed that the strikes had killed several key figures in Iran’s leadership. Although no names were mentioned, Trump emphasised: “There are leaders who are not coming back.”
The US President expressed hope that despite the escalation, Tehran would return to the negotiating table. “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. We hope that negotiations will resume. We’ll see,” he added.
He also noted that the White House had informed one of its key allies in the region before the Israeli operation, but did not name the country. On Friday, Trump will also attend a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss further US steps in the current situation.
Earlier, the Israeli army confirmed that it had struck Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Strong explosions were heard near Tehran at dawn.
