‘We knew everything, tried to save Iran,’ Trump says of Israel’s strikes

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone interview on June 13 that he and his team knew everything about

Israel’s plan to attack Iran

and that he had given Tehran fair warning it needed to make a deal on its nuclear programme.

“We knew everything, and I tried to save Iran (from) humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out,” Mr Trump said.

“They can still work out a deal, however, it is not too late,” he added.

Mr Trump had repeatedly pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay an Israeli attack to give diplomacy more time, though the US President himself had threatened to bomb the Gulf nation if nuclear talks failed.

Mr Trump said he had given the Iranians 60 days to come to an agreement, “and today is 61”.

Iran has baulked at the US’ insistence that it give up uranium enrichment.

“We knew just about everything,” he said. “We knew enough that we gave Iran 60 days to make a deal and today is 61, right? So, you know, we knew everything.” 

Mr Trump said it was unclear if Iran still has a nuclear programme following Israeli strikes on the country. 

“Nobody knows. It was a very devastating hit,” Mr Trump said.

Israel said it had targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

Mr Trump said the US still has nuclear talks planned with Iran on June 15, but that he was unsure they would take place. He said it was not too late for Iran to make a deal.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation in Oman on June 15, but the Israeli attacks have raised doubts on whether the session will still take place.

“They are not dead,” Mr Trump said of the US-Iran talks. “We have a meeting with them on Sunday. Now, I am not sure if that meeting will take place, but we have a meeting with them on Sunday.”

The US President had convened his top national security advisers at Camp David on the night of June 15 for what he said were discussions that included Iran, and he spoke to Mr Netanyahu on June 9 about Iran.

He said he was not concerned about a regional war breaking out as a result of Israel’s strikes, but did not elaborate.

Asked if the US would support Israel against Iranian counterattacks, Mr Trump said he supports Israel.

“We have been very close to Israel,” he said. “We are their No.1 ally by far.”

“We will see what happens,” he added. REUTERS