In a stark declaration that may reshape the already volatile Middle East landscape, US President Donald Trump has openly backed Israel’s massive airstrikes on Iran, describing the operation as “excellent” and confirming that the United States had advance knowledge of the attack.
“We knew everything,” Trump told Reuters in a phone interview, revealing that Washington was closely looped into Israel’s plans before Operation Rising Lion was launched. “I tried to save Iran from humiliation and death. I tried very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out.”
The Israeli strikes—its most extensive aerial assault in decades—targeted high-value Iranian assets, including the Natanz nuclear facility, missile sites, and Revolutionary Guard command centers.
The strikes ignited immediate retaliation from Tehran, with missiles streaking toward Israeli cities including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, intensifying fears of a full-scale regional conflict.
Despite having previously urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue diplomacy, Trump has now thrown his full support behind the military action, underscoring the enduring US-Israel alliance.
“We’ve been very close to Israel. We’re their number one ally by far,” Trump said. “We support Israel. Period.”
US officials confirmed that American forces in the region helped intercept Iranian projectiles, offering further evidence of tight operational coordination between the two nations.
While tensions soar, Trump offered a glimmer of diplomatic hope, suggesting Iran could still return to the negotiating table. “They can still work out a deal. It’s not too late,” he said.
With nuclear diplomacy on the brink, world leaders are urging calm—but Trump’s unambiguous endorsement of Israel’s military action has added fresh urgency to questions over Iran’s next move and the risk of a broader war engulfing the region.