Trump denies Israel pressured US in Iran strikes, says 'No, I might have forced their hand'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Tuesday, March 3, firmly rejected claims that Israel pressured the United States into attacking Iran. He stressed that the decision was entirely his own, made after he assessed an imminent threat from Iranian forces.

Trump insisted the US acted on its own terms rather than under external influence. “No, I might have forced their hand,” he told reporters when asked if Israel had pushed the US into military action. He argued that preemptive action was necessary to stop Iran from striking first.

Trump denies Israel dictated US strikes 

Trump told reporters he led the military response, not following orders from any ally. He said the US had been negotiating with Iranian officials but believed they were preparing a preemptive strike.

“We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack. If we didn’t do it, they were going to attack first. I felt strongly about that,” Trump said. 

He added, “And we have great negotiators, great people, people that do this very successfully, and have done it all their lives. Based on the way the negotiation was going, I think they were gonna attack first. And I didn’t want that to happen. So, if anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand."

Rubio’s comments fuel speculation

The debate intensified after Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that the US acted because Israel was preparing its own action. Rubio said, “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t pre-emptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”

Critics said Rubio’s remarks muddied the “America First” narrative, making it appear the US was reacting to allies rather than leading its own policy. 

Senate Democrats push to reclaim war powers

Senate Democrats are seeking to assert more control over military decisions. They want a vote to ensure the president consults Congress before engaging in future conflicts.

Senator Chris Murphy emphasized the need for debate, even if the resolution is unlikely to pass. “We shouldn’t be voting to proceed to other pieces of legislation until we get a debate on this deeply unpopular, immoral, and illegal war with Iran,” he said.

The discussion underscores growing tension in Washington over executive authority in military action and the influence of allies in foreign policy decisions.