US President Donald Trump told Fox News he was aware Israel was going to conduct strikes on Iran before it happened, and stressed that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear bomb,” according to the US broadcaster.
His comments to Fox came after Israel pounded Iran in a series of air raids on Friday, striking 100 targets including nuclear and military sites.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation took aim at the atomic facility in Natanz, while Iranian media said the country’s Revolutionary Guards leader Hossein Salami and armed forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri were killed.
Trump told Fox News that he was made aware of Israel’s operation before it happened.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see,” Trump said, according to Fox News.
Fox News also reported that “Trump noted the US is ready to defend itself and Israel if Iran retaliates.”
It added that Trump’s administration reached out to at least one key Middle Eastern ally to acknowledge that the strike was going to happen, but reiterated that the US was not involved.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier Thursday that the United States was “not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”
“Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
Trump will be attending a National Security Council meeting Friday morning.
Gulf airlines cancelled flights to and from Iran, as well as Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Israel declared a state of emergency and closed its airspace, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying Israel was braced for Iran’s expected retaliation.
Hours later, the Jordanian military said its aircraft and air defence systems intercepted “a number of missiles and drones that entered Jordanian airspace”.
There are “no limits in responding to this crime”, Iran’s armed forces said, accusing Israel of crossing “all red lines”.
Oil prices surged while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes, which came after Trump’s warning of a “massive conflict” in the region.
