WASHINGTON, June 18. /TASS/. American President Donald Trump does not want to involve the United States in a possible armed conflict in the Middle East, not a short one, not a long one, he said commenting on the Israeli military operation against Iran, to which the US provides various assistance.
"I'm not looking long term. I only want one thing. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said, addressing concerns from the American public that Washington is on the brink of entering into another lengthy Middle East war, one which could be as painful for the US as the 2003 invasion of Iraq. That operation lasted a full eight years, ending in 2011.
"I'm not looking long term, short term, [active military involvement in the Iran situation]," he said.
"I've been saying that for 20 years. Very simply, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It's not a question of anything else," he said.
From his point of view, if Iran possessed nuclear weapons, it would use them against the Americans "or on other people and they'd be a terror all over the world."
At the same time, Trump acknowledged, referring primarily to the voting public in the United States, that "some people" are unhappy with the assistance that America is providing to Israel in conducting an operation against Iran. "But I have some people that are very happy," he added.
Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on the night of June 13, targeting Iran's nuclear program. Later Israel admitted that it did not rule out an attempt to overthrow the current Iranian authorities with this military campaign. The Islamic Republic retaliated less than a day later. In the next few days, Israel and Iran exchanged blows again, and they continue. Both sides reported deaths and injuries, and admitted that some targets on their territories were hit.