() President Donald Trump said he was aware of Israeli strikes on Iran before they occurred Thursday. Hours before the attack, Trump told reporters a strike could be imminent.
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday evening, Trump said there were no surprises and that he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days.
Israel used more than 200 fighter jets to target 100 sites, including nuclear and military locations, killing three leaders Thursday night into Friday morning. The Israeli Defense Forces reported damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.
“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,” Trump said to reporters Thursday, referencing three Iranian leaders killed.
He also said he hoped Iran would return to the negotiating table.
Trump said he was watching for retaliation and that the United States would defend itself and Israel if so. Israel said it had intercepted Iranian drones Friday.
Earlier Thursday, Trump hinted at the possibility of a strike.
“I don’t want to say imminent, but it’s something that could very well happen,” he said regarding an Israeli strike on Iran, hours before the attack.
Trump also warned of a “massive conflict” in the Middle East over Iran’s nuclear program.
“I know that Israel did inform us that they were going to go. The timing on that, I don’t know,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told . “We’ve also heard chatter and been involved in conversations that we knew this time was coming, but I do believe that the president was hoping to try to avoid anything like this if it was possible.”
