Nobody knows what I will do in the Iran case – said US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. He estimated that although Iranians want to negotiate, it is “late” and said that he rejected the mediation offer from Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“I can do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I'm going to do,” Trump told journalists, asked if he intends to use US forces to hit Iran's nuclear objects.
“I can tell you that Iran has a lot of problems and wants to negotiate. I told them: why did you not negotiate with me before all this death and destruction (…), why you did not negotiate with me two weeks ago, you would be okay. You would still have a country, “he added during the ceremony of erecting new masts on the flags in front of the White House.
The president said that “it was a bit late” to negotiations, although he admitted that there were suggestions for the Iranians to come to the White House, which, however, would be difficult in the current situation. When asked if he gave Iran an ultimatum, he replied that it was “the final ultimatum”.
“They are completely defenseless. They have no air defense. We have complete control in the air” – assured Trump. “I wouldn't say that we won yet, but I would say that we have done a lot of progress and we will see, next week will be very important, maybe less than a week,” he added.
Trump also informed that during Tuesday's conversation with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told him to “go on” but did not tell him whether he would join the Israeli campaign against Iran.
In the morning of June 13, Israel began massive attacks on Iran, declaring that their goal is nuclear and military facilities. The government in Jerusalem accused the regime in Tehran of accelerating work on gaining nuclear weapons, which would pose a threat to Israeli statehood. Iran called the attack “Declaration of War” and responded with air rockets on Israel, in which 24 people were killed. The authorities in Tehran informed about the death of at least 224 people.
In previous raids on Iran, Israel attacked, among others Uranus enrichment plants, military facilities, fuel magazines, gas fields, airports, offices, and the seat of the IRIB state television, but also blocks and residential houses. The army also announced the killing of most senior military commanders of the Iranian armed forces and nine important scientists working at the Iranian atomic program.
Trump to Putin: First, we pomided Russia
Trump said on Wednesday that during a conversation with Putin – he suggested that it occurred on Tuesday – he rejected his mediation offer in the Israeli -Iranian conflict.
“I talked to him yesterday (…) you know, he offered help in mediation. I told him: +Do a favor for me +. Pomedia your own war. First let's pomided Russia, ok?” – Trump reported probably referring to the war of Russia with Ukraine
The last publicly revealed Trump's conversation with Putin took place last Saturday, June 14. Trump later declared that he was open to Putin's help in mediation.
Survey: Americans do not want intervention
Only 16 percent Americans believe that the United States should join Israel and attack Iran – according to the Economist/Yougov survey. Six out of 10 US citizens objected to such an idea, and a quarter has no opinion.
These are the results of the study published on Wednesday. The respondents were asked from June 13 (i.e. the first day of the Israeli-Iranian war) to Monday (June 16).
The US Military Intervention in Iran is opposed by supporters of every political option. This opinion is 65 percent. Democrats, 61 percent independent voters and 53 percent Republicans.
56 percent respondents in the Economist/Yougov study were in favor of talks about the Iranian nuclear program with the authorities in Tehran. Only 18 percent It is against such negotiations.
Yougov emphasizes that 10 years ago the percentage of opposing conversations with Iran was higher by 14 percentage points, it was 32 percent. This was the result of the survey conducted after the then US President Barack Obama's international nuclear agreement with Iran. His successor, Donald Trump, unilaterally withdrew the United States from this contract in 2018.
According to this year's study, 61 percent Americans recognize the Iranian nuclear program as a threat to the USA. Exactly half of the respondents consider Iran as an enemy of the USA. Every fourth one describes the state as “unfriendly” and 5 percent He considers this Middle East country as friendly or as an ally.
Any attack on Iran is unpopular, compared to the support of US military interventions in the American society in recent decades. Research from the Gallup Institute shows that before the beginning of the First War in the Persian Gulf in 1991, 55 percent expressed support for this offensive. Americans. In the case of intervention in the Balkans in 1999 it was 43 percent. The attack on Afghanistan two years later is 82 percent, and on Iraq in 2003 – 64 percent
“FT”: The attack can break the magician
The issue of possible US involvement, together with Israel, in Iran attacks can break the magician, the movement initiated by Donald Trump (Make America Great Again – to make America great again) – wrote on Wednesday the main commentator of foreign affairs “Financial Times” Gideon Rachman.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, known as the most die -hard devotee of Trump in the House of Representatives, announced that someone who would support the US involvement in the war between Israel and Iran, “she is not magician”, and added that the Americans are tired of wars.
This is all the more amazing because Taylor Greene is usually considered the most loyal Congressmenka towards Trump in the Chamber, which gives the idea of how deeply the magician movement is, since the president began to positively think about using US forces against Iran – Rachman emphasizes.
For many supporters of Trump it would be betrayal; Finally, one of his main election promises was to avoid US involvement in “Eternal Wars”. In 2019, Trump even said that “entering the Middle East is the worst decision ever made” in America, “reminds the author.
Many prominent members of the magician movement have already announced publicly that they were against the involvement of the US forces in the war with Iran. Among other things, such ardent supporters of Trump did this, as the former adviser to President Steve Bannon, a former Fox News Tucker Carlson journalist or former Congresmen Matt Gaetz.
Carlson, who after throwing him out of television has its own permanent internet program and newsletter, wrote in it: “Give Israel. Let him lead his wars.” He also added: “What will happen now will define the presidency of Donald Trump,” Rachman reports.
The president reacted to these messages, calling Carlson on his social networking site Truth Social “Dziwak”.
This did not prevent Carlson to get into a vision into an aggressive quarrel with Senator Ted Cruz, a supporter of America's foreign intervention. The recording during which both gentlemen threw themselves that they were taking a position, not knowing at Iran, showed CNN television on Wednesday.
Cruz's views are shared by, among others, traditional Republicans as Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell senators, and representatives of the Neoconservative Fraction in the Republican Party – writes the journalist “FT”.
Vice President Jdvance, who usually supports the position of Carlson (son of a former journalist, Buckley Carlson, is the deputy of his press secretary), this time he tries to play the role of a mediator between the confused factions of the magician. He also provides Trump's supporters that the president “is only interested in using the American army to achieve the goals of the American nation.”
The recent Yougov survey for the weekly “Economist” showed that the US involvement in the war with Iran supports 19 percent. respondents, while 53 percent are opposite.
However, if American aviation over Iran, these divisions would be blurred, because at the beginning of each military operation, the effect of “uniting around the flag” appears – Rachman reserves.
But if something fails in such a war, there will be bitter settlements in the power camp. “Iran can become a matter that will break the movement of the magician” – concludes Rachman.
OSK/ AP/
