Trump Claims Israel Would Cease to Exist Without Him

Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated Sunday that Iran's attacks on several Gulf states were "a very good thing" because they alienated Tehran's regional allies. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump referenced Iranian strikes against Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait, suggesting the attacks caused Iran to "lose all the support they had." Trump used these strikes to bolster his stance on Iran's nuclear program, arguing that Tehran's actions demonstrated the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran. He asserted that his previous presidency prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and, in his view, saved Israel from potential annihilation. "If I wasn't president, Israel would have disappeared. Israel would not be there anymore and there would probably be no Middle East," Trump declared, adding that the U.S. or Europe could have been next targets of a nuclear Iran.

Amidst these regional tensions, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, stated Monday that targeting Arab Gulf states and Jordan had failed. Gargash, speaking on X, called for realistic political solutions, beginning with de-escalation and the restoration of normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that a state of "neither war nor peace" is unsustainable. Trump also posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting a U.S. pilot striking Iran's Kharg Island.