Trump says ‘if anything’ he forced Israel’s hand on Iran attack timing, says Iran was going to strike US first

(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday denied that Israel forced his hand into attacking Iran, and in another new explanation, said he ordered the U.S. strike on Iran because he concluded Tehran was going to attack the U.S. first after negotiations stalled.

Trump also acknowledged most of the individuals the U.S. favored to next lead in Tehran have been killed, including some in a new strike on Tuesday.

Hosting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, Trump for the first time took questions in public on the war, now in its fourth day and expanding throughout the Middle East.

Amid scrutiny over why the U.S. military campaign against Iran was necessary, and mixed messages from the administration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday that the strikes were triggered in part because the U.S. knew Israel was going to attack Iran and Iran would retaliate.

"Did [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu pull the United States into this war?" ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott asked Trump on Tuesday.

"No. I might have forced their hand," Trump replied. "You see, we were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack. If we didn't do it, they were going to attack first. I felt strongly about that."

"Based on the way the negotiation was going, I think they were going to attack first. And I didn't want that to happen. So, if anything, I might have forced Israel's hand. But Israel was ready and we were ready," Trump continued, appearing to contradict Rubio.

Rubio also told reporters Monday that, despite his comments, Israel didn't force Trump's hand. House Speaker Mike Johnson, after a Gang of 8 briefing on Capitol Hill on Monday, said Israel was determined to act "with or without the U.S."

Trump did not provide evidence for why his administration believed Iran posed an imminent threat to the U.S. Previously, American intelligence agencies had found Iran would not have had missiles capable of reaching the U.S. for another nine years, until 2035.

Trump said most of Iran's military infrastructure, including its navy and air force, has been "knocked out."

"We're hitting them very hard," Trump said, later adding: "They're going to be in for a lot of hurt."

On what's next for Iran and who America would like to see take over, Trump admitted most of the individuals identified to potentially replace Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have also been killed.

"Most of the people we had in mind are dead ... And now we have another group, they may be dead also based on reports," Trump said. "So, I guess you have a third wave coming in pretty soon. We're not going to know anybody."

"I guess the worst case would be we do this and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person," Trump said. "That could happen."

Trump also poured cold water on the idea of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran, being an option to lead the country.

"Some people like him, and we haven't been thinking about too much about that. It would seem to me that somebody from within maybe would be more appropriate," Trump said. "I've said that he looks like a very nice person. but it would seem to me that somebody that's there that's currently popular if there is such a person."

Meanwhile, the war is widening in the Middle East as Iran seeks retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli attacks. Tehran has struck nearly a dozen countries in the region, which Trump said he was "surprised" by.

"They hit countries that had nothing to do with what's going on," Trump said, criticizing Iran for striking civilian infrastructure like hotels.

The State Department has warned U.S. citizens to leave the region and closed several embassies. So far, six U.S. service members have died in the war and more have been wounded, according to U.S. officials.

ABC News White House Correspondent Karen Travers pressed Trump on the Americans who are currently stranded in the Middle East and why there wasn't an evacuation plan to get them out. The president said because it "happened all very quickly."

"I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked. They were getting ready to attack Israel. They were getting ready to attack others," he said.

The State Department later said it was working on securing military aircraft and charter flights for Americans who want to evacuate.

As for further impacts on Americans, Trump said oil prices could likely rise temporarily as the conflict plays out.

"People felt that it's something that had to be done. So, if we have a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before," Trump said.

In the Oval Office, President Trump also notably took aim at several European allies who he said have not supported his administration's strikes on Iran.

"This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with," Trump said as he rebuked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for initially not letting U.S. aircraft to use the Diego Garcia base that the U.K. controls.

Trump also threatened to cut off all trade with Spain after the country said the U.S. cannot use its joint military bases for operations against Iran.

Germany's Merz said he would speak with Trump about the "day after" in Iran.

"We are on the same page in terms of getting this terrible regime in Tehran away," Merz said.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump posted on social media that it is "too late" for talks with Iran and warned the U.S. has enough weapons to fight "forever."

"Wars can be fought 'forever,' and very successfully, using just these supplies," Trump wrote in a social media post, despite having said on Monday that the U.S. would "easily prevail" in the conflict and campaigning in opposition to prolonged foreign entanglements.

The president has said the war with Iran could last for several weeks.

ABC News' Karen Travers contributed to this report.

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