President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he ordered US forces to join Israel’s military offensive against Iran because he believed Tehran was on the verge of launching attacks, offering a justification that contradicts earlier statements from his own administration.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Friedrich Merz, Trump rejected claims that Israel pressured Washington into the conflict, insisting the decision was driven by US security concerns.
“I felt strongly that they were going to attack first,” Trump said. “If we didn’t act, we would have been hit.”
A day earlier, however, Marco Rubio had told reporters that the US launched strikes out of concern that Iran would retaliate against anticipated Israeli military action — a narrative that sparked confusion and criticism.
“We knew Israeli action would trigger attacks on American forces,” Rubio said, arguing that preemptive strikes were necessary to reduce casualties.
Iran has described the US assault as unprovoked, denying any plans to strike American targets.
Conservative Backlash and Political Pressure
The conflicting explanations intensified criticism from conservative commentators, some of whom accused the administration of allowing Israel to dictate US foreign policy.
Conservative podcaster Matt Walsh wrote on X that Rubio’s comments suggested the US was dragged into war. Meanwhile, media personality Megyn Kelly questioned the justification for military action, arguing that Washington’s priority should be American interests, not regional conflicts.
The backlash comes as Republicans attempt to retain control of the United States Congress ahead of the November midterm elections, with some Democrats labelling the conflict a “war of choice”.
White House Damage Control
Facing mounting scrutiny, the White House moved into damage control mode. Trump took questions publicly for the first time since the joint US-Israeli air campaign began three days earlier, after previously limiting remarks to controlled interviews and recorded statements.
Trump said his concerns intensified following nuclear talks held in Geneva last Thursday. Iran had described those negotiations as constructive, with further discussions planned. Trump, however, claimed Tehran was using talks to delay action.
Rubio later attempted to clarify his remarks while visiting Capitol Hill, stating that Trump’s core objective was preventing a first strike on US forces.
Nuclear Talks and Decision to Strike
Senior administration officials said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner pressed Iran to abandon uranium enrichment during talks mediated by Oman. Iran instead proposed higher enrichment levels at the Tehran Research Reactor, which U.S. officials viewed as unacceptable.
According to the officials, the envoys warned Trump that reaching a deal similar to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action would take months. Trump ordered military action the following day, with strikes beginning on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to deny seeking nuclear weapons.
