All the times Trump contradicted himself in plea for help in Iran war
Donald Trump has been accused of backtracking and contradicting his own statements regarding the war in Iran.
Speaking at a press conference later yesterday, Trump slammed the UK for its response to the war, calling it ‘very disappointing’.
Trump has also asked France, China, Japan, South Korea and Britain to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
But the President’s own remarks have seemed to contradict himself, telling reporters: ‘Really, I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory – because it is their territory.’
Less than an hour later, he said: ‘They should come, and they should help us protect it. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all, because we don’t need it.
‘We have a lot of oil. We’re the number one producer anywhere in the world times two.’
Seemingly referencing NATO, Trump added, ‘If we need help, they won’t be there for us. I’ve known that for a long period of time.’
Again, moments later, he said: ‘We have some who are enthusiastic. They’re coming.’
Speaking to reporters, Trump also said ‘we want them to come and help us with the Strait (of Hormuz)’.
Later, he clarified: ‘My attitude is we don’t need anybody. We have the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far – we don’t need them.’
Varying lengths of the Iran War
At the beginning of the war, Trump said he thought the strikes in Iran would be ‘four weeks or so’.
Days later, he said the war was ‘very complete, pretty much’ – before, on the same day, saying the war wouldn’t end that week, but would ‘very soon’.
On why the US attacked Iran
In an address made shortly after attacks began, Trump said: ‘Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.
‘They can never have a nuclear weapon. That is why in Operation Midnight Hammer last June, we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program — at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — after that attack, we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons.’
Days later, Trump said he ‘knew Iran was going to attack’, claiming that if the US didn’t fight, Iran would attack first.
The strike at an Iranian girl’s school
After a strike on an Iranian school killed 175 children in late February, there was confusion as to whether Iran, the US or Israel was behind it.
US Central Command has acknowledged using Tomahawk missiles in this war and even released a photo of the USS Spruance, part of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group located within range of the school, firing a Tomahawk missile on February 28.
When asked by a reporter whether the US was responsible for the blast, which killed mostly children, Trump responded, without providing evidence: ‘No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.’
He added: ‘I will certainly, whatever the report shows, be willing to live with that report.’
After a report found that the US struck the school, Trump said: ‘I don’t know about it.’
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