Donald Trump promises that the US will “defend itself and Israel” if Iran retaliates after Israel’s latest “preemptive” attacks on Iranian targets.
The statement was made in a phone call with Fox News host Bret Baier on Friday morning, according to the television network.
During the night, Israel’s defense forces (IDF) carried out attacks on a large number of targets in Iran, including residential areas, military installations, and the nuclear facility in Natanz. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the purpose of the attack was to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iranian media reports that at least five people were killed and 20 injured in Tehran.
Among the dead were Hossein Salami, a top general in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, army chief of staff Gholam Ali Rashid, and nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoon Abbasi.
The attack occurred two days before planned nuclear talks between the US and Iran in Oman.
Exclusive: @BretBaier spoke to President Trump by phone tonight following start of airstrikes.
Here’s what he said:President Trump was aware of the strikes beforehand. There were no surprises, but the US was NOT involved militarily and hopes Iran will return to the…
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) June 13, 2025
“Not involved militarily”
Trump said that he had spoken with Netanyahu several times in the days leading up to the attack and knew about the plans in advance. However, he emphasized that “the US was not involved militarily” and expressed hope for new talks in the future.
– Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see. There are several people in leadership that will not be coming back.
Iran’s army has warned that “a bitter lesson awaits Netanyahu”, and the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, said that Israel “should expect severe punishment”.
Trump added that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is on high alert:
“CENTCOM is on high alert, the US will defend itself and Israel if Iran retaliates”, according to Fox.
Deeply aligned with Israel
Prior to the attack, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the US “remain committed to a diplomatic resolution to the Iran nuclear issue”, but that the country’s leadership “first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon”.
Trump has previously been described as the most pro-Israel president in modern American history and has repeatedly been praised by Benjamin Netanyahu as an indispensable ally. Many Republicans in the president’s staff and inner circle are also staunch supporters of Israel, often for religious reasons.
Furthermore, the US provides billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Israel every year. The Israel lobby, led by influential organizations such as AIPAC, plays a significant role in US domestic and foreign policy and has for decades influenced the US position on issues relating to the Middle East.
