Former U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Israel to strike Iran's nuclear facilities in retaliation for a recent missile barrage from the Islamic Republic. His comments followed President Joe Biden's assertion that an "all-out war" in the Middle East is unlikely and should be avoided amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran.
Trump's remarks came in response to a question posed to Biden regarding Israel potentially targeting Iran's nuclear sites in light of the 200-missile attack. He emphasized, "Isn’t that what you’re supposed to hit? I mean, it’s the biggest risk we have, nuclear weapons." The Republican presidential candidate for the November 5 U.S. elections suggested that Biden should have encouraged Israel to attack Iran's nuclear facilities and "worry about everything else later."
"If they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it. But we’ll find out whatever their plans are," Trump added.
Biden, addressing concerns about escalating conflict, stated that he does not foresee a full-scale war in the region. When asked about the likelihood of a massive war erupting due to the actions of Lebanon and Iran against Israel, he replied, "How confident are you it's not going to rain? Look, I don't believe there is going to be an all-out war. I think we can avoid it." Regarding potential American troop involvement, he reiterated, "We have already helped Israel. We are going to protect Israel."
In a related context, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described Iran’s attacks on Israel as "legal and legitimate," framing them as the minimum response to what he termed "Israel's crimes." In his first Friday sermon in five years, Khamenei criticized Israel's tactics of assassination and bombing, asserting that such actions only serve to strengthen resistance against Israel. His remarks coincided with the upcoming one-year anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel.