Following Israel‘s successful strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites and leadership, President Donald Trump on Friday warned that the next round of attacks will be “even more brutal” unless the Islamic Republic returns to the negotiating table.
“There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,” Trump said on Truth Social at 4:56 a.m. “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the “preemptive, precise offensive” in a statement overnight.
“Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and to the wider world,” the statement read. “The State of Israel has no choice but to fulfill the obligation to act in defense of its citizens.”
Dozens of Israeli fighter jets bombed nuclear and military targets across Iran early Friday morning. Prior to the strikes, Mossad agents had planted weapons inside the country. The Israeli strikes completely destroyed Iran’s Natanz Nuclear facility and eliminated some of Iran’s most powerful leaders.
Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in a major blow to Iran’s embattled leadership.
Additionally, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces; Ali Shamkhani, a close aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC’s Air Force; and Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force in the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were eliminated in the strikes.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to retaliate, saying that Israel “should anticipate a severe punishment” and “has prepared for itself a bitter, painful fate, which it will definitely see.”
Iran launched 100 drones shortly after strikes and all were successfully intercepted, according to the Israeli military. The Islamic Republic also cut the internet to suppress dissent from the Iranian public.
Following Israel’s military action, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement saying the U.S. was not involved in the decision to strike Iran, and urged the Islamic Republic not to retaliate against the U.S.
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,” said Rubio. “President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
The Trump administration’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran unraveled Wednesday, with Trump accusing Tehran of “delaying,” and saying “I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago.” The developments led the Pentagon to order the withdrawal of U.S. military personnel and nonessential staff from embassies in Baghdad, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Trump said on Truth Social that he had given Iran “chance after chance” to make a deal, “but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done.”
I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!
In a subsequent post on Truth Social, the president said: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to “make a deal.” They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
Trump told ABC News Friday that he thought the attacks had been “excellent” and suggested there was “more to come.”
He told Axios that the strikes could help him secure a nuclear deal with Iran.
Asked if he thought the attacks had hurt negotiations, Trump said, “I don’t think so. Maybe the opposite. Maybe now they will negotiate seriously.”
The president was scheduled to meet with his National Security Council at 11 a.m.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, “will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”