Trump backs Israel after sweeping attack on Iran

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Jun 13, 2025

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President Donald Trump backed Israel on Friday after it launched a sweeping attack on Iran’s nuclear program and leadership, although officials stressed the U.S. was not directly involved in the dramatic escalation that could lead to a wider war in the Middle East.

Trump claimed the Israeli attack was launched after Tehran ignored a 60-day ultimatum set by him to reach a deal to limit its nuclear program, the first time such a deadline has been mentioned.

“I think it’s been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it,” Trump told ABC News. “They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit.”

Trump added that Iran should expect further attacks in coming days.

“And there’s more to come, a lot more,” he added.

Iran began a major counterattack on Israel later Friday with hundreds of missiles launched. At least one missile apparently evaded missile defense systems and struck a building in Tel Aviv but no injuries or deaths were immediately reported.

Trump claimed he had warned Iran it had only two months to conclude a new deal with the U.S. to limit its nuclear program and forego nuclear weapons.

“Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal,’” he posted on his social media site. “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’s claim appeared to be designed to counter the widespread perception that the massive strike means Israel snubbed the White House’s effort to negotiate a deal with Iran.

Trump had recently said talks with Iran were going “very well” and suggested a breakthrough was near.

A U.S. team led by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff was scheduled to journey to the Middle East for talks with Iran this weekend, an odd move if Trump had indeed given Iran an ultimatum that was set to expire this week. The White House said Witkoff was still planning to attend talks in Oman, but Iran said it would not attend.

The Trump statement came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a decidedly less pro-Israel tone in his initial statement after the strike.

“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said, omitting usual language backing Israel, the top U.S. ally in the region. “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

The daylight between the Rubio and Trump responses raised new questions about administration’s foreign policy in general and in the Middle East in particular.

Trump ran for office on a pledge to end U.S. involvement in “forever wars” in the Middle East and has sought to push negotiations with Iran even in the face of Israeli skepticism about the usefulness of any nuclear deal with Tehran.

Several national security hawks have been ousted from Trump’s national security team including Mike Waltz, who was demoted from National Security Adviser to the less-powerful role of U.N. ambassador.

The attack on Iran could also cause problems for Trump with his far right-wing base, which vehemently opposes U.S. involvement in overseas conflicts.

Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News personality, called Trump “complicit” in the Israeli attack, which he suggested would drag America into the conflict.

“It’s worth taking a step back and wondering how any of this helps the United States,” Carlson wrote in his newsletter.

The White House stance may have sent mixed messages to geopolitical adversaries, including Iran as well as China, North Korea and especially Russia, which appears to be snubbing Trump’s effort to forge a peace deal in Ukraine.

Israel informed the Trump administration that large-scale attacks were coming and expected Iranian retaliation would be severe, U.S. officials said, leading the United States to order the evacuations of some nonessential embassy staffers and authorize the voluntary departure of military dependents in the region.

Some analysts to question if the Islamic republic’s leadership has been crippled by the attack although others suggested Iran might be waiting to retaliate.

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