President Trump said it’s “possible” the United States could become involved in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, according to comments he made in an interview with ABC News on Sunday. While emphasizing that the U.S. is not currently participating in the hostilities, Trump acknowledged that involvement could happen, depending on how the situation develops.
“We’re not involved in it. It’s possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved,” Trump said, as reported by ABC.
Trump also expressed openness to the idea of Russian President Vladimir Putin mediating between Israel and Iran. According to ABC, Trump said he had a lengthy phone call with Putin on the subject. “I would be open to it. [Putin] is ready. He called me about it. We had a long talk about it. We talked about this more than his situation. This is something I believe is going to get resolved,” Trump said.
The remarks came days after Israel launched its most extensive military operation to date against Iran, carrying out overnight strikes that killed several high-ranking Iranian military officials. The operation disrupted the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to restart nuclear negotiations with Tehran.
Though the U.S. moved quickly to signal it had not participated in the strikes, multiple reports indicate that senior Trump administration officials were briefed in advance. In a statement issued Thursday night, Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified the administration’s position.
“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said. “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners.”
The administration now finds itself navigating a volatile regional crisis, with diplomatic and military tensions rising even as it seeks to avoid direct involvement in the conflict.