Former President Donald Trump praised the recent military strike on Iran as "excellent" and warned that more attacks could follow if Tehran does not reach a deal. He spoke by phone early Friday with ABC News, offering his assessment of the situation.
"I think it's been excellent," Trump said. "We gave them a chance and they didn't take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come. A lot more."
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "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!"
During the phone interview, he added, "I think it's been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn't take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come. A lot more."
When asked if the United States played a role in the strike, Trump said, "I don't want to comment on that."
In a separate social media statement, Trump blamed Tehran's failure to finalize a nuclear deal with Washington as the catalyst for Israel's attack. "I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to 'just do it,' but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn't get it done," he wrote.
He warned that unless Iran agrees to terms soon, the devastation would continue. "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."
The administration's first official response came at 8:43 p.m. EST through a statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran," Rubio said. "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. 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."
An administration official told Politico's Dasha Burns that Rubio's message was coordinated by the White House. The statement's wording followed internal debate between pro-Trump allies and more traditional foreign policy voices.
