WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) – After urging Israel not to hit Iran towards a nuclear deal, President Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone interview Friday that he and his team knew the attack was coming.
“We knew everything and tried to save Iran’s humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard.
“They can still make the deal, but it’s not too late,” he added.
Trump repeatedly pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay Israeli attacks and give diplomacy more time, but the president himself threatened to bomb the Gulf state if the nuclear speech failed.
Trump’s changing stance on the Israeli strike, which he called “excellent” and “very successful” in a series of media interviews on Friday, provided one of the most impressive examples of how he negotiates high-stakes through both open public rhetoric and behind-the-scenes manipulation.
The US president supported Israel’s decision to launch a series of devastating attacks on Iran and expressed his willingness to accept the use of military force to curb Tehran’s nuclear program. In contrast, some allies emphasized the need for restraint.
When asked whether the US would support Israel against Iran’s counterattack, Trump said he was in support of Israel. He said he was not worried about regional wars erupting as a result of the Israeli strike, but he did not elaborate.
“We were very close to Israel. We are their number one ally,” Trump told Reuters, adding, “Let’s see what happens.”
Later on Friday, two U.S. officials said US troops fired Iranian missiles down towards Israel.
Talk suspiciously
It is still uncertain whether Trump’s attempt to reach an agreement with Iran to halt uranium enrichment is still feasible, with sixth talks scheduled for Sunday in Oman, but it is doubtful after the attack.
In negotiations with Iran, Trump tried to persuade Iranians to abandon his uranium enrichment, waiting for a protest from Iran. Tehran balked by giving up on enrichment, but at first glance there seems to be little room for a contract.
“They want enrichment. We can’t have enrichment,” Trump told reporters Monday.
As the week went on, Trump resigned more and more to the prospect of Israel attacking, hinting that he knows more than willing to speak publicly.
“I don’t want to say it’s imminent, but it looks like something that can happen very often. Look, it’s very simple, not complicated. Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. Other than that, I want them to succeed,” he told reporters before the attack began.
Speaking to Reuters on Friday, Trump said Iranians were given 60 days to reach an agreement, with the time expired without any deals.
“We knew everything,” he said. “We knew well enough that we gave Iran a 60-day deal, and today we are 61.
Trump said it is unclear whether Iran is planning a nuclear program following the Israeli attack.
“No one knows. It was a very devastating hit,” Trump said.
Israel said it targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders that it warned Tehran was a long-term operation to prevent the construction of atomic weapons.
Trump said the US still plans a nuclear conference with Iran on Sunday, but he wasn’t sure they would happen. US Special Envoy Steve Witkov was scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation in Oman.
“They are not dead,” Trump said of the US-Iran discussions. “We have a meeting with them on Sunday. I don’t know if that meeting will take place now, but we have a meeting with them on Sunday.”
The president convened his top national security advisers at Camp David on Sunday night, and what he said was a debate involving Iran, where he spoke with Netanyahu about Iran on Monday.
White House officials said Trump spoke with Netanyahu again on Friday. Trump also discussed his attack with the National Security Council in the White House situation room. Details of the discussion were not immediately available.
(Reporting by Steve Holland, Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Howard Goller)