President Donald Trump is forcefully rejecting a growing narrative that the United States was dragged into war with Iran at Israel’s urging.
In a Monday morning post on Truth Social, Trump insisted he was “never” pushed into launching the military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury, pushing back on critics who argue Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played a decisive role in shaping Washington’s decision to strike.
Instead, Trump framed the war as a direct outgrowth of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which killed roughly 1,200 people and triggered a broader regional crisis. That event, he said, reinforced what he described as a longstanding conviction: Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
“Israel never talked me into the war,” Trump wrote, adding that the attack “did” — alongside his “lifelong opinion” on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The remarks mark Trump’s most direct attempt yet to reassert ownership over a war that has divided both Washington and international allies, even as some reporting has suggested Israeli lobbying played a role in the lead-up to U.S. action.
Trump has consistently cast the conflict as both preemptive and necessary. Speaking last month, he went further, suggesting the U.S. may have acted ahead of an imminent Iranian strike. “I might’ve forced their hand,” he said at the time, arguing Tehran was preparing to attack first.
But Monday’s post went beyond defense and into offense. Trump lashed out at critics and media coverage, accusing “fake news pundits” of distorting both the motivations and results of the war. He also tied the Iran campaign to what he framed as broader geopolitical success, comparing its eventual outcome to the U.S.-backed capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
“The results in Iran will be amazing,” Trump wrote, predicting that a potential “regime change” could open the door to a “great and prosperous future” for the country.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
