US President Donald Trump denied any role in the recent strike on Iran and issued a stern warning to Tehran, stating that if the United States is attacked in any form, it would respond with military force "at levels never seen before."
The statement came as Trump attempted to distance the United States from Israel’s recent large-scale airstrikes on Iran, carried out under Operation Rising Lion, which have significantly escalated tensions across the Middle East.
US had nothing to do with the attack
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "The US had nothing to do with the attack on Iran tonight. If we are attacked in any way, shape, or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!"
Trump's stand on Israel’s Operation Rising Lion
Trump’s stance on Israel's Operation Rising Lion has seen notable shifts in recent days. Just hours before the Israeli offensive, he had urged for a diplomatic resolution with Tehran. However, following the airstrikes, the President appeared to attribute the escalation to his own earlier warnings to Iran, suggesting they played a role in curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
"Two months ago I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to 'make a deal,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!"
In another post earlier, Trump claimed he had warned Iran in "the strongest of words", asserting that Iranian commanders were caught off guard: "They didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!"
He added a final appeal for de-escalation: "There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter... come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left."
Israel hits Iran's Defence Ministry, nuclear-linked sites in Tehran
Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran early Sunday, targeting the Iranian Defence Ministry headquarters in Tehran and facilities linked to the country's energy infrastructure. The strikes marked an escalation in the ongoing hostilities that erupted two days ago, when Israel mounted a surprise attack to cripple Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran retaliated with another barrage of missiles that Israeli officials said killed four people in a residential building in Galilee. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed it had struck fuel production sites used by Israeli fighter jets and warned of further missile attacks if Israeli airstrikes continue.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared "Tehran is burning" in a post on social media, as blasts were reported in the eastern and western parts of the capital. The Israeli military confirmed multiple strikes in Tehran, including 40 sites it described as “missile-related,” and said dozens of fighter jets were "operating freely" across Iranian airspace.
This comes amid reports that Israel has also hit an Iranian natural-gas processing facility in South Pars, which, if confirmed, would mark the first Israeli attack on Iran’s oil and gas industry. The full extent of the damage is yet to be assessed.
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