Washington — On Friday, President Trump encouraged Iran to “reach an agreement before everything is lost” following Israel’s launch of around 200 strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, military leaders, and research scientists. These were the initial attacks in what Israeli officials described as a significant operation against Iran.
In response, Iran fired numerous missiles at targets in Israel, while the U.S. assisted Israel by intercepting these missiles, according to U.S. officials.
Earlier, Mr. Trump urged Iran to accept new limits on its nuclear program while there is still an opportunity. The president has emphasized that Iran should not be permitted to enrich uranium, a condition Iran has not agreed to. Mr. Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the same day, as stated by a White House official.
“There has already been immense death and devastation, but there’s still time to stop this slaughter, with the next planned attacks expected to be even more severe,” Mr. Trump asserted in one of his posts on his social media platform, Truth Social. “Iran must come to an agreement before there is nothing left and preserve what was once the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.”
The president mentioned that he had cautioned Iran about the repercussions of failing to strike a deal over its nuclear ambitions.
“I warned them that it would be far worse than anything they could anticipate or have been informed of. The United States possesses the best and most advanced military equipment globally, BY FAR, and Israel has plenty of it, with more on the way – and they know how to utilize it,” he continued. “Some Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they were unaware of what was looming. They are all DEAD now, and it will only worsen!”
When asked by the Wall Street Journal if the U.S. had prior knowledge of the attack, Mr. Trump replied, “A heads-up? It wasn’t a warning. It was clear—we know what’s happening.” In another post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump suggested he might give Iran a “second chance” to comply with limitations on its nuclear program after initially setting a 60-day ultimatum.
Steve Witkoff, the president’s envoy for the Middle East, was scheduled to begin a sixth round of discussions with Iran in the Gulf state of Oman on Sunday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. did not participate in Israel’s airstrikes on Iran but issued a warning to Tehran: “Iran should refrain from targeting U.S. interests or personnel.”
In a video statement, Netanyahu labeled the attack “Operation Rising Lion,” describing it as a targeted military initiative “to diminish the Iranian threat to Israel’s very existence.” Iranian state media reported that the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, and Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, were killed in the strikes.
Netanyahu declared that the operation “will proceed for as long as necessary to eliminate this threat.”
Iran retaliated on Friday by launching over 100 drones at Israel, as reported by the Israeli military. However, Brigadier General Effie Defrin, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, stated that the country’s air defenses were “working to intercept the threats.” Iran’s supreme leader warned Friday that Israel would not go unpunished.
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his backing for Israel on Friday, asserting that the U.S. ally was “clearly justified” in its actions. He is scheduled to speak at Israel’s Knesset in Jerusalem on June 22.
“Israel and the United States have remained united, firmly insisting that Iran must never achieve a nuclear weapon,” Johnson wrote on X. “President Trump and his administration have tirelessly worked towards ensuring that outcome. Unfortunately, Iran has declined to agree and even announced its intention to build a new enrichment facility. Israel determined it needed to act for its defense. They were clearly entitled to do so. Iran will face severe consequences if it responds by unjustly targeting U.S. interests.”
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, referred to Israel’s strikes as “a concerning escalation that will undoubtedly lead to counterattacks” and remarked that the Trump administration “must swiftly seek to de-escalate the situation.”
“This threatens not only U.S. negotiations with Iran but also the safety of American service members, diplomats, their families, and expatriates in the region,” she stated. “I concur with President Trump’s instinct to distance the U.S. from Israel’s actions, but it is likely that Iran and its allies will not distinguish between the U.S. and Israel.”
