{"id":1521,"date":"2025-06-13T07:14:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T07:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vegacelis.com\/?p=1521"},"modified":"2025-06-20T10:58:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T10:58:27","slug":"us-will-defend-israel-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vegacelis.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/13\/us-will-defend-israel-trump\/","title":{"rendered":"US will defend Israel \u2013 Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"
Washington was aware of West Jerusalem\u2019s \u201cpreemptive\u201d strike on Iran beforehand, but was not involved militarily, the president has said<\/strong><\/p>\n The US will “defend itself and Israel”<\/em> if Iran retaliates for West Jerusalem’s “preemptive”<\/em> strikes, President Donald Trump has told Fox News. He made the remarks in a phone call with host Bret Baier on Friday morning, according to the network. <\/p>\n The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) earlier said it struck dozens of targets across Iran, including military installations and a nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n Iranian media reported that at least five people were killed and 20 injured in Tehran following the strikes. The attack came just two days before the sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Oman.<\/p>\n Trump told Fox News that he had spoken with Netanyahu multiple times in recent days and knew of the planned strikes in advance, adding that “there were no surprises.”<\/em> He stressed, however, that “the US was not involved militarily”<\/em> and expressed hope that Iran would return to negotiations.<\/p>\n \n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see. There are several people in leadership that will not be coming back,”<\/em> Trump reportedly<\/a> said, apparently referring to Iranian officials killed in the strikes.<\/p>\n Iranian media identified the victims as IRGC commander Hossein Salami, Deputy Chief of Army Staff Gholam Ali Rashid, and nuclear scientists Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoon Abbasi.<\/p>\n Trump added that he is monitoring whether Iran will retaliate. The Iranian Army has said it will not tolerate Israeli “aggression”<\/em> and warned that “a bitter lesson awaits Netanyahu.”<\/em> Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stated on Friday morning that Israel “should expect severe punishment.” <\/em><\/p>\n