Trump: Israel Did Not Force Me Into War With Iran — 'Maybe I Pushed Them'

At a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump rejected suggestions that Israel had drawn the United States into the conflict with Iran. "No, maybe I am the one who pushed them," Trump said, when asked by reporters whether Israel had pulled America into the war. He described Iranian leaders as "crazy" and said that based on the course of nuclear negotiations, he had come to believe Iran was planning a preemptive strike against the US or Israel. "I did not want to allow them to strike first; so we delivered a very powerful blow," he added.