President Donald Trump said it was his decision for the United States and Israel to carry out joint strikes on Iran, rejecting claims that Israel pushed the United States into the conflict. He stated that he 'might have forced Israel's hand,' arguing that he believed Iran was preparing to attack first and wanted to prevent that outcome.

Trump's comments appeared to conflict with remarks from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told lawmakers that the United States anticipated an Israeli action and feared retaliatory attacks on American forces if it did not act preemptively. Trump maintained that negotiations with Iran were deteriorating and that he felt strongly Iran would strike before any agreement could be reached.

The operation, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, resulted in the deaths of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, according to Trump, along with significant damage to Iran's military infrastructure. Four American service members have died so far, and Trump warned the conflict could last several weeks.

Despite describing the strikes as a success, Trump faces criticism from prominent conservative commentators who question whether the conflict serves American national interests. Some have argued that the war benefits Israel more than the United States and have called for clearer justification for the sacrifice of American lives and resources.