The US president warned of further action if Tehran doesn’t agree to a nuclear agreement, following Israeli strikes he lauded as “excellent.”
President Trump praised Israel’s strikes against Iran as “excellent” on Friday, suggesting more action would follow if Iran doesn’t agree to a nuclear deal. He shared these comments during a phone conversation with Jonathan Karl, ABC News’ chief Washington correspondent.
Earlier on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes on various Iranian targets, including military and nuclear facilities, even hitting areas in central Tehran.
Iran has acknowledged the deaths of Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, as a result of the attacks.
Reports indicate that the strikes resulted in as many as 78 fatalities, including high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists, and left 329 others injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the operation, which occurred just before US-Iran nuclear discussions in Oman, was intended to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“I think it’s been excellent,” Trump said about the strikes. “We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come. A lot more.”
Trump had previously told Fox News that he was informed about the planned attack. When Karl asked if the US participated, Trump responded, “I don’t want to comment on that.”
Karl pointed out Trump’s continued desire to reach an agreement with Tehran, even though the planned talks in Oman are likely to be postponed after the strikes.
The White House has not released an official statement, but Trump echoed similar remarks later in the day on Truth Social.
“Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to make a deal. They should have done it,” Trump wrote. “I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
Nuclear talks between the US and Iran restarted in April, but haven’t yielded any breakthroughs. Washington is demanding a complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, while Tehran maintains its enrichment activities are peaceful and for civilian purposes, deeming the US demand unacceptable.