Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Friday praised Israel’s extensive air campaign against Iran, describing the attack as “excellent” and hinting at further action. Israeli forces reportedly struck around 100 targets, including nuclear facilities and military command centers, as part of “Operation Rising Lion.”
Trump told ABC News, “I think it’s been excellent. 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.” When asked whether the US participated in the operation, he declined to confirm or deny, stating simply, “I don’t want to comment on that.”
Israel defended its offensive, citing intelligence suggesting Iran’s nuclear programme was nearing a “point of no return.” The strikes reportedly eliminated several high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists.
In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, denounced the attack as a “declaration of war” and vowed that Israel would suffer a “bitter and painful” retribution.
Earlier in the day, Trump warned on Truth Social that Iran’s defiance in nuclear negotiations had led to this point. Quoting his post, he said, “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done.”
