Washington, United States | Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday that he believes Israel should launch strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in retaliation for the recent missile attacks from the Islamic republic.
Speaking at a campaign event in North Carolina, Trump referenced a question posed earlier this week to Democratic President Joe Biden about the possibility of Israel targeting Iran’s nuclear program.
“They asked him, what do you think about Iran, would you hit Iran? And he said, ‘As long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.’ But that’s exactly what you want to hit, right?” Trump told the audience during a town hall event in Fayetteville, near a key US military base.
When asked on Wednesday if he would support strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, Biden responded, “The answer is no.”
Trump, however, disagreed, saying in response to a question on the matter, “I think he got it wrong. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to hit? Nuclear weapons are the biggest threat.”
Trump added, “When they asked him that, the answer should have been, ‘Hit the nuclear facilities first, and deal with everything else after.’”
Following nearly 200 Iranian missile strikes against Israel, Biden reiterated his opposition to attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites but affirmed that Israel has the right to respond proportionally, and discussions with Israel are ongoing.
Trump, currently locked in a fierce election battle with Vice President Kamala Harris, has largely stayed quiet on the rising tensions in the Middle East, though he recently issued a strong statement blaming Biden and Harris for the crisis.
