'I tried to save them': US President Donald Trump says he knew attacks on Iran were coming as 78 killed in Israeli strikes
US President Donald Trump has revealed he knew Israel's attacks on Iran were coming, as he spoke to media about the devastating strikes which have left 78 people dead so far in the Gulf nation.
On early Friday morning, local time, Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran nuclear facilities, claiming Tehran was days away from having enough material to produce 15 nuclear bombs.
Iran retaliated, firing 100 drones towards Israel after vowing a "harsh and decisive" response to the strikes which killed senior military officials.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Israeli strikes on multiple targets a 'declaration of war' in a letter to the United Nations.
Speaking later on Friday to media, Trump said Iran had the chance to be saved from the attacks in the shape of a nuclear agreement.
"We knew everything, and I tried to save Iran humiliation and death. I tried to save them very hard because I would have loved to have seen a deal worked out," Trump told Reuters.
"They can still work out a deal, however, it's not too late," he added.
Trump backed Israel, describing its attack as "excellent" and "very successful" while spruiking the US' close relationship with their ally.
'We've been very close to Israel. We're their number one ally by far," Trump told Reuters, adding, "We'll see what happens."
Trump had repeatedly pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay an Israeli attack to give diplomacy more time, though the President himself had threatened to bomb the Gulf nation if nuclear talks failed.
Later on Friday, two U.S. officials said the U.S. military had helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed toward Israel.
The Trump administration had been negotiating with Iran in the week leading up to the Israeli strikes, and the President appeared unsurprised when the attacks broke out.
"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.'
In negotiations with Iran, Trump sought to persuade the Iranians to give up uranium enrichment and was awaiting a counter-proposal from Iran. Tehran had balked at giving up enrichment, seemingly leaving little room for an agreement.
"They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment," Trump told reporters on Monday.
He also flagged at the time "something" was potentially on the verge of happening soon, indicating he knew about the prospect of a planned attack from Israel.
"I don't want to say it's imminent, but it looks like something that could very well happen. Look, it's very simple, not complicated. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Other than that, I want them to be successful," he told reporters on Thursday before the raids began.
-With Reuters
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