During a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, former U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that he may have influenced Israel’s military actions against Iran. He expressed his belief that Tehran was preparing to launch an attack, suggesting that if the U.S. had not acted, Iran would have struck first.
Trump stated, “Perhaps I pushed them to act. We were negotiating with these crazy people (referring to Iran), and I believed they were planning to attack first. If we hadn’t acted, they would have attacked first. I was sure of that. We have great negotiators. Based on how the negotiations went, I think they were planning an attack. I wanted to prevent that. So if it came down to it, maybe I pushed Israel,” he said.
He claimed that both the U.S. and Israel were prepared for action, resulting in a significant strike that reportedly destroyed most of Iran’s military sites and diminished their missile stockpile.
“It’s astonishing, but they were targeting countries that could be considered neutral. They lived alongside them for a long time, and suddenly these countries were hit with missile strikes. This shows the level of evil we are dealing with. They targeted civilian sites—hotels, residential buildings. We strike appropriate targets. Very powerfully. They no longer have air defense systems or detection systems. It will be very painful for them,” Trump remarked.
Trump described the Iranian leadership as “bad people,” alleging that they had killed 35,000 protesters in the past three weeks. He also claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been removed from power and mentioned a recent significant strike on new leadership.
“Many people are reaching out, asking for immunity, wanting to lay down their arms. We’ll see what happens. We continue to act. Our military is the strongest in the world,” he added.
When discussing potential worst-case scenarios in Iran, Trump expressed concern that a similar regime might come to power after the current turmoil.
“We don’t want that. In five years, we might find that we didn’t put in a better person. I would like to see someone who works for the people. We even told the protesters: ‘For now, don’t go out; it’s dangerous, bombs are falling,'” Trump stated.
In response to questions from reporters about specific individuals he was referring to, Trump noted, “Most of those we had in mind are dead; maybe there will be a third wave, we will see, but first, we need to finish the military part.”
On February 28, Israel launched an attack on Tehran, prompting Trump to announce that U.S. forces had initiated a “major combat operation” against Iran to eliminate imminent threats from the Iranian regime. He accused Iran of funding and training militants in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Hamas in Palestine, stating that the operation aimed to dismantle Iran’s missile industry and fleet, as well as to prevent global destabilization.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have launched missiles and drones towards Israel and attacked U.S. military bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
In light of the U.S. military operation against Iran, French President Emmanuel Macron called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.
The European Union reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring regional security and stability in the Middle East.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that it is fair to give Iranians a chance to rid themselves of their “terrorist regime” and ensure the safety of all nations affected by attacks from Iran.
On February 28, Trump announced that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was dead, a claim later confirmed by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
On March 1, the IRGC declared the start of the “most destructive offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic” against Israel and U.S. military bases. Trump warned the Iranian regime to abandon these plans, threatening a “very strong response.”
On March 2, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the next phase of the military operation against Iran would be even more devastating.
Donald Trump claimed he may have encouraged Israel's military actions against Iran, asserting that Tehran was poised to attack. As military operations escalate, he emphasized the need for decisive action against Iranian threats, while international leaders call for urgent discussions on regional security.