By Jack Phillips
President Donald Trump on early Sunday warned that Iran would face an unprecedented military response from the United States if Tehran attacks his nation.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States was not involved in Israel’s attacks on Iran over the weekend, as the two countries exchanged aerial attacks on each other.
The president also suggested that both nations stop the aerial assaults and attempt to hash out a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. Previously, Trump has said that Iran under no circumstances should have possession of a nuclear weapon, while Israel’s strikes have sought to degrade Tehran’s capacity to obtain nukes by striking several of its nuclear facilities.
“The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight,” Trump said on Truth Social. “If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!”
After Israel launched attacks on Iran late last week, killing several top Iranian generals and other military officials, Tehran responded by launching multiple strikes over the weekend. At least 13 people died, including children, although the death toll likely rose on Sunday morning, officials have said.
Israel’s main international airport and airspace remained closed for a third day. There was no update to the Iranian death toll released the day before by Iran’s U.N. ambassador, who said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded.
Also Sunday, Israeli officials warned citizens living near nuclear facilities in Iran to evacuate due to strikes.
“Urgent Warning to the People of Iran. We urge all those present at this time or in the near future at all weapons facilities in Iran and their supporters,” an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson wrote on X. “For your safety, we demand that you immediately evacuate these facilities and not return to them until further notice. Presence near these facilities puts your lives in danger.”
Iranian state-run media said that Tehran launched a wave of attacks on Israeli targets on Sunday, saying that at least 50 ballistic missiles had been fired.
Trump’s comment on social media comes as the Iran-linked Iraqi terrorist group Kataib Hezbollah on Sunday warned it will target U.S. interests in the region if Washington intervenes.
The group said in a statement that it is “closely monitoring the movements of the American enemy’s military in the region” and added that “should the United States intervene in the war (between Israel and Iran), we will directly target its interests and bases spread throughout the region without hesitation.”
The statement was the first explicit and direct threat issued by an Iraqi militia to target U.S. forces in the region since the outbreak of the Iran-Israel conflict. In recent years, the group has launched attacks on U.S. assets in the region, including the American Embassy compound in Baghdad as well as Iraq airbases.
Iran previously acknowledged the death of Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Guard’s aerospace division in Friday’s strike. Also killed were Gen. Mahmoud Bagheri, Gen. Davoud Sheikhian, Gen. Mohammad Bagher Taherpour, Gen. Mansour Safarpour, Gen. Masoud Tayyeb, Gen. Khosro Hasani, and Gen. Javad Jarsara, the Guard said Sunday.
After Trump ordered the drone strike of an Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in early 2020, Iran responded by firing multiple barrages of missiles at U.S. bases in the region.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
