'That's a big headline': CNN anchor surprised by pundit's claim about Trump
Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, who served as an intelligence officer with the Israeli Defense Forces, told CNN Wednesday that Israel fully expects President Donald Trump to involve the U.S. in its bombing campaign against Iran.
Ravid told anchor Sara Sidner that Israel was "pretty close" to having identified all of the targets they need to hit.
"I think they need another 2 or 3 days, tops, before they exhaust all the targets that they had," Ravid said. "Obviously there are new targets coming in all the time, but I think that the major things have already been done."
Ravid said that Trump's phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the final step before announcing U.S. involvement.
"Now, I think everyone are waiting to see not if, but when President Trump will order a military strike," Ravid said. "That's at least what i hear from Israeli officials. They are certain that Trump is going to join this war."
Sidner was struck by Ravid's prediction.
"Yeah, that's a big headline there, that your officials in Israel are saying they are certain that President Donald Trump is going to enter this war militarily," Sidner said.
Ravid explained that Israel "just does not have the bombs to penetrate" Iran's heavily fortified facility in Fordow.
"In order to destroy it, it needs the 30,000 pound bombs that the U.S. has and the B-2 bombers that the U.S. has in order to drop those bombs in Iran," Ravid said.
He added that the "number one thing Israel wants from the U.S." is to "take out this nuclear facility in Fordow." Everything else, Ravid said, the Israelis "can manage on their own."