Trump Admits Forcing Israel to Attack Iran

United States President Donald Trump has denied that the war with Iran began because Israel forced the United States to attack Iran. Trump said, in fact, the opposite happened: the United States forced Israel.

‘No, actually, I may have forced them (Israel),’ Trump said at the White House during a visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to Al Jazeera on Wednesday 4 March 2026.

He said the direction of negotiations mediated by Oman had convinced him that Iran would attack the United States. In fact, US intelligence had already said there was no direct threat from Iran.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States attacked Iran because it knew Israel would bomb the Shiite state. Therefore, the Trump administration believed that Iran would then attack American facilities in the region.

Trump said that someone from within Iran would be better to lead after the US-Israel war. That would be better, he said, than Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah.

‘He (Pahlavi) seems to be a very nice person. But in my view, someone from within might be better,’ he said.