President Trump said on Monday that he would support an Israeli attack on Iran if Tehran “continues” its conventional missile program or if it works to rebuild its civilian nuclear program that was damaged by US airstrikes during the US-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic in June.
The president made the comments at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida before a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when asked if he would back more Israeli attacks on Iran. “If they continue with the missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast,” he said.
“One will be yes, absolutely,” he added, appearing to reference Iran’s missiles. “The other was we’ll do it immediately,” he said, referencing the possibility of Iran rebuilding its nuclear program. The president also threatened to “knock the hell” out of Iran if it “builds up again.”
According to media reports, Netanyahu was expected to ask Trump to support a new war against Iran over concerns related to its ballistic missiles. Iranian officials have been clear that they won’t agree to a deal to curb Tehran’s missile program since it’s the only deterrent the country has against the US and Israel.
After the meeting, Trump and Netanyahu held a joint press conference where the US president again expressed support for the idea of another attack on Iran, though he suggested it wasn’t “confirmed” that Tehran was “building up” again.
Any Israeli strikes on Iran would require US support since the US military played a major role in intercepting Iranian missiles fired at Israel, though they made it through US and Israeli air defenses, which is ultimately what led Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire after 12 days. The US also supported Israel’s attacks by refueling Israeli aircraft and then launched its own airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Amid the threats of another US and Israeli attack, Iran has warned that it’s ready to respond. According to Iran’s PressTV, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces warned in a statement on Monday that “any renewed hostile act against the country will be met with a far harsher, more crushing, and more damaging response than in the past.”
