President Trump said he was unable to warn allies of the attack because the military may have lost the element of surprise that would have allowed it to defeat “much more” Iranian defenses than expected.
President Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbor during Japan meeting
President Donald Trump compared the attack on Iran to Pearl Harbor in front of the Japanese prime minister and Japanese reporters.
WASHINGTON – Sitting next to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump likened the first attack on Iran to the U.S. naval attack on Japan’s Pearl Harbor that triggered America’s entry into World War II.
“I didn’t tell anyone about it because I wanted it to be a surprise. Who knows more about surprises than Japan?” Trump said, drawing laughter. “Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”
At the mention of Pearl Harbor, Takaichi’s eyes widened, his smile faded, and he leaned forward, pulling his hand closer to his.
President Franklin Roosevelt called the December 7, 1941 surprise attack “a day that will live in infamy” while urging Congress to declare war.
During a Q&A session with reporters, President Trump was asked why he did not notify allies in Asia and Europe of the war before it began on February 28th.
President Trump said, “Sometimes I don’t want to signal too much when I enter.” “We worked very hard.”
Due to the surprise, President Trump said the military had knocked out “far more” than expected in the first two days of the attack. Pentagon leaders said the US had struck 7,000 targets inside Iran and sank or damaged 120 Tehran naval ships.
“If I go and tell everyone about this, they won’t be surprised anymore,” Trump said.
