The president portrayed the military campaign as effective, saying “virtually everything they have is being knocked out now.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States was not drawn into war with Iran by Israeli pressure, asserting instead that he believed Tehran was preparing to strike and that Washington acted to preempt it.

Speaking to reporters, Trump rejected the suggestion that Israel had “forced” his hand. “I might have forced their hand,” he said, later adding, “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand, but Israel was ready and we were ready.”

Trump said his assessment was shaped by ongoing negotiations with Iran before the conflict escalated.

“We were having negotiations with these lunatics,” he said, referring to Iran’s leadership. “It was my opinion that they were going to attack first. If we didn’t do it, they were going to attack.”

He said he felt “strongly” that an Iranian assault was imminent “based on the way the negotiation was going,” and later clarified that he believed Israel and other Middle Eastern nations were potential targets.

The president portrayed the military campaign as effective, saying “virtually everything they have is being knocked out now.” He also accused Iran of expanding its attacks beyond primary adversaries.

“Hitting countries that were neutral … and now those countries are all fighting against them,” Trump said. He further alleged that Iran was “also hitting only civilian places, hotels and apartment buildings.”

Such conduct, he said, “shows the level of evil that we’re dealing with,” arguing that Tehran had struck states that had been at least somewhat friendly.

Asked what scenario concerned him most, Trump said the “worst-case scenario” would be if Iran’s next leader were no better than Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

His remarks come as fighting between US and Israeli forces and Iran continues, with the administration defending its decision to engage and maintaining that it acted out of security concerns rather than outside pressure.

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The contract covers the production and delivery of 25 new F-15IA fighter jets for the Israeli Air Force.

By World Israel News Staff

The Pentagon announced Monday that Boeing has been awarded an $8.6 billion contract for the F-15 Israel Program, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

According to the Pentagon, the contract covers the design, integration, testing, production, and delivery of 25 new F-15IA fighter jets for the Israeli Air Force, with an option for an additional 25 aircraft in the future.

“This contract provides for the design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery of 25 new F-15IA aircraft for the Israeli Air Force with an option for an additional 25 F-15IA aircraft,” the Pentagon said in its statement.

The announcement underscores Washington’s continued commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge, particularly in air power, amid rising regional tensions.

However, concerns were raised following comments by Trump at the conclusion of his joint press conference with Netanyahu, when he was asked whether the United States would sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. “We are thinking about it seriously,” Trump said.

Pressed on the possibility of conflict between Israel and Turkey, Trump sought to downplay concerns, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “a very good friend,” adding, “I promise they’ll never use them. We’re not going to have a problem.”

Turkey, a NATO member, has sharply deteriorated relations with Israel since October 7, 2023, imposing a trade embargo and escalating political attacks, while significantly expanding its military capabilities. Israeli officials have warned that advanced U.S. weapons sales to Ankara could alter the regional balance.

The strategic importance of air superiority was highlighted last week at Hatzerim Airbase, where the Israeli Air Force welcomed a new generation of combat aviators during the graduation ceremony of Flight Course No. 191.

Speaking at the ceremony, Netanyahu stressed that air power remains central to Israel’s security doctrine.

“Israel’s air superiority in the Middle East is a foundation of our national defense,” he said, adding that Israel will continue equipping its pilots with the most advanced capabilities while preventing hostile actors from acquiring similar tools.

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Most Americans now say Israel’s response to October 7th massacres has been excessive, endorse recognition of Palestinian statehood.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

A majority of Americans back recognition for Palestinian statehood, according to a new poll conducted weeks before multiple countries are slated to recognize unilateral Palestinian statehood at the United Nations next month.

With the UK, Canada, and France poised to formally recognize the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral declaration of statehood during the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 80th session, Reuters published the results from a poll Wednesday, gauging American support for the move.

The Reuters/Ipsos survey was conducted from August 13th through the 18th, gathering responses online from 4,446 American adults.

The poll found that well over half (58%) of Americans say every United Nations member state should recognize Palestinian statehood, while just 33% of respondents disagreed.

Republicans were least likely to support recognizing Palestinian statehood, though a significant minority (41%) backed it, with only a narrow majority of 53% opposed.

Democrats were slightly more likely to say all UN members should recognize Palestinian statehood (78%) than to say all UN members should recognize Israel (77%).

The poll also found that a growing majority of Americans believe Israel’s response to the massacres of October 7th, 2023, has been “excessive.”

Fifty-nine-percent said Israel has gone too far in its response to October 7th, compared to 33% who said it has not.

Republicans were least likely to say Israel has gone too far, with just 38% backing that claim, compared to 57% who disagreed with it.

Among Democrats, 82% said Israel’s military response has been excessive, while just 14% said it has not.

Since the Reuters/Ipsos poll began tracking US views on the issue, an absolute majority of Americans have said they believe Israel has responded excessively.

Just over half (53%) agreed with this view in February 2024, while 42% of respondents disagreed.

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“Ending Hamas is beneficial to American national security, but at what cost?”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Citing media reports of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a senior U.S. congressional aide says there is concern about a 9/11-style reprisal for U.S. support of Israel.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the aide said the price tag for U.S. support for Israel could be attacks against Americans in their own country.

He said, “Ending Hamas is beneficial to American national security, but at what cost? If we continue to see this humanitarian crisis exacerbate, it will further damage America’s standing globally.”

“Ultimately, we don’t want to see another 9/11,” the source added.

Although he credited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “fighting a valiant and fair and worthy fight,” he said he believed that if the conflict continues and the plight of Gazan civilians worsens, the situation could cause instability in the Middle East and other regions.

The aide’s remarks come amid scathing international media criticism of Israel, with photographs depicting scenes of hunger and desperation.

Although The New York Times admitted that the image of an apparently famished child it published on the front page of the newspaper was actually a toddler with cystic fibrosis, the narrative of famine in Gaza persists.

Israel insists that it is not practicing intentional starvation of civilians as a war tactic and has sent airlifts of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Israel on Thursday to address the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The White House said Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will travel to Gaza on Friday to observe food distribution operations.

According to the Israeli military, Palestinians surrounded aid trucks during recent deliveries.

Soldiers fired warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd, though the military said it was not aware of any injuries caused by Israeli fire.

The White House said the inspections aim to ensure that aid is reaching civilians and to assess what additional steps may be needed to improve food access in Gaza.

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On a phone call, the two world leaders discussed the war in Gaza, the Iran nuclear discussions, and the aftermath of a terror attack in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday that killed two Israeli Embassy personnel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

US President Donald Trump approves of Israel’s plans for continuing the war in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement described a phone call between the two world leaders during which they discussed the war in Gaza, the Iran nuclear discussions, and the aftermath of a terror attack in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday that killed two Israeli Embassy personnel.

“President Trump expressed support for the objectives set by Prime Minister Netanyahu: to secure the release of all our hostages, to eliminate Hamas, and to advance the Trump Plan,” the statement said.

During Netanyahu’s press conference on Wednesday night, the first since 2024, he announced that Israel would consider ending the war if the “Trump plan” for Gaza could be implemented.

He said, “I am ready to end the war on clear conditions that will guarantee Israel’s security: the release of the hostages, the removal of Hamas from power, full disarmament, and we are implementing the Trump plan.”

Shortly after taking office for the second time,  Trump announced a plan for Gaza that would “permanently” resettle the civilian population in third-party countries, with the US taking control of the coastal enclave and rebuilding it as a Middle Eastern “Riviera.”

The two leaders also discussed the nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, and they “agreed on the need to ensure that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons.”

Regarding the terror attack at a Jewish museum in Washington D.C., Trump “expressed deep sorrow over the horrific murder” of the victims.

Netanyahu thanked Trump “for the efforts he and his administration are making to combat manifestations of antisemitism in the United States.”

The statement comes following speculation that relations between Trump and Netanyahu were cooling following the US president’s recent Middle East visit that did not include a stopover in Israel. Other issues of concern in recent weeks were Washington’s truce with the Houthis, despite the Yemeni terror group’s ongoing attacks on Israel, Trump’s comment that Netanyahu should “wrap up” the war in Gaza, and the nuclear negotiations.

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