Donald Trump strongly denied that Israel pushed the US into war with Iran, saying that he actually ‘may have forced’ their hand, following fury from his MAGA base.
During his first interaction with members of the press after the weekend operation, Trump was asked if Israel dragged the US into conflict.
‘No, I might have forced their hand,’ he stated to the contrary.
Trump’s comments appear to contradict what Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday after briefing lawmakers on Operation Epic Fury.
‘We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces,’ Rubio said. ‘And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.’
The most vocal members of Trump’s MAGA base erupted in fury over the perception that Israel is at fault for bringing the US into a war with Iran.
Conservative pundit Matt Walsh, who wrote: ‘So [Rubio is] flat out telling us that we’re in a war with Iran because Israel forced our hand. This is basically the worst possible thing he could have said.’
But Trump responded Tuesday, saying that due to failing negotiations with Iran, he believed they would attack first, ‘and I didn’t want that to happen.’
President Donald Trump said that he was the one who ‘forced Israel’s hand’ into striking Iran
US Navy handout photo shows guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) firing a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 1, 2026
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran on Tuesday, March 3, 2026
‘You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first,’ the president explained. ‘They were going to attack first, I felt strongly about that. So if anything I might have forced Israel’s hand.’
No senior member of the administration appeared publicly over the weekend as Trump addressed the nation on two separate occasions, outlining the mission to wipe out Iran’s leadership and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as he encouraged regime change.
The President initially stated that the war would last four to five weeks, but he’s since warned it could go on ‘far longer.’
He struck a more maximalist position than before, saying that ‘the big wave hasn’t even happened’ and swatting away Iran’s requests for peace talks. ‘Too late,’ he posted on Truth Social.
JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News on Monday night that the aim was to ensure ‘Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon’. He claimed that there is ‘just no way that Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multiyear conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective.’
Further clouding the picture, a White House official told the Daily Mail on Tuesday that there were three aims: destroy the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missiles, its missile industry, and its Navy. The official mentioned neither Iran’s nuclear facilities nor regime change.
The backlash from top conservative pundits has amplified in recent days due to the unclear messaging from administration leadership about what prompted US involvement.
‘There is nothing unpatriotic or unsupportive of one’s conservatism or general adherence to MAGA-type principles to say, ‘I would like to be better convinced that this is worth the sacrifice of American blood and treasure,” pro-Trump media personality Megyn Kelly said on her show.
Tucker Carlson said: ‘This is Israel’s war. This is not the United States’ war.’
US Central Command handout photo shows an F-35C Lightning II, attached to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, staged for flight operations on the deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill the US knew Israel was preparing to strike and was worried it would allow Iran to cause more American casualties than if the US struck first
‘This war is not being waged on behalf of American national security objectives, to make the United States safer or richer… This war is waged purely because Israel wanted it to be waged,’ he added.
Carlson made a stop in Israel last month for a sit-down interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. The former Fox host exclusively told the Daily Mail that he was detained in Tel Aviv by Israeli officials at the airport while trying to leave the country.
During his remarks to the media Tuesday, Trump also launched a fresh attack on Sir Keir Starmer.
‘This is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with.’
His fresh swipe comes as he continued to fume at the PM’s initial refusal to allow American bombers to use British bases to strike Iran.
Operation Epic Fury began overnight on Saturday morning after Trump gave the green light. He monitored the military operation from his makeshift situation room in Mar-a-Lago.
Dozens of Iranian leaders were left dead and Trump says that much of Iran’s military infrastructure and missile systems were taken out in the bombings. Four US service members have died so far, and Trump warns more might be killed in the conflict that he says could last four or five weeks.
This image provided by U.S. Central Command shows a F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on Monday
Four US service members have died so far, and Trump warns more might be killed in the conflict that he says could last four or five weeks.
Trump, however, believes that the conflict is a success so far.
‘We had a very very powerful impact because virtually everything they have has been knocked out now,’ he told reporters in the Oval Office during his bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday.
He added: ‘Their missile count is going way down.’
‘I’ve never had more compliments on something I did, people felt it’s something that had to be done,’ he boasted. ‘So if we have a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, lower than even before.
And if European nations don’t get on board with the plan, Trump will retaliate – as he announced at his bilateral meeting on Tuesday.
He told reporters that he’s cutting off all trade with Spain after their government refused to let American forces use the bases in their country to strike Iran.
‘Spain has absolutely nothing we need,’ the president said. ‘We’re gonna cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.’
The president bragged at a Medal of Honor event at the White House on Monday that the military operation in Iran was already ahead of schedule.
It came after he told the Daily Mail in an exclusive call on Sunday that he expects the active conflict with Iran to go on for four weeks or less. He clarified that timeline on Monday, saying it could be between four and five weeks.
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