Fabian Hinz, a defense and nuclear expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, told AP News that Israel’s attack demonstrates the country had extremely detailed knowledge of Iran’s nuclear resources.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has said that Israel should expect “a harsh punishment.”
Israel has said that Iran launched 100 drones in response to Israel’s attack but that Israel has reportedly been able to shoot most of those down. According to Reuters, Iran denied that it launched the drones.
On Friday night, Iran retaliated by launching hundreds of ballistic missiles against Israel. This is a developing story.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the U.S. had any involvement in Israel’s attack and warned Iran against retaliating against the U.S. In a call with the Wall Street Journal, President Trump said the U.S. knew the attack was going to happen, and speaking to CNN, said that the U.S. “of course” supports Israel.
Prior to Israel’s attack, the Trump administration had been in talks with Iran, attempting to strike a deal that would stop Iran’s nuclear program. A sixth round of talks was set to take place between the two parties on Sunday, and it is now unclear whether or not that will still happen.
“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,” Trump said on Truth Social Friday morning.
“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,” he said, “and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.”
“Certain Iranian hardliner’s [sic] spoke bravely,” Trump continued, “but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!”
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left,” said Trump, “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 U.S. had been part of a nuclear deal struck with Iran in 2015 known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In this deal, Iran received sanctions relief in exchange for dismantling its nuclear program and agreeing to “open its facilities to more extensive international inspections.” However, Trump pulled the U.S. out of this deal in 2018.
Christian Leaders React to Israel’s Attack
In a post on X, Laurie called the news about Iran and Israel “not random headlines” but “biblical foreshadowing.”
