Global
Former U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the countries protected by the United States will bear all the costs incurred by Washington during the war on Iran. In a press interview, he explained that these countries would not have existed without American support, pointing out that the very existence of Israel is linked to the American role, stating, "Without us, Israel would not exist," and adding in another clip, "Without Donald Trump, Israel would not exist." When asked if he regretted supporting strikes targeting Iranian leaders in operations described by the interviewer as having pushed the Iranian regime toward escalation, and suggesting that only nuclear facilities could have been targeted, Trump replied, "Yes, that could have been done, but there were people who wanted to go further," without specifying who those people were. These statements are not the first time Trump has linked Israel's existence to himself; in June, he said Israel would not exist without the United States and his personal efforts, emphasizing in other remarks that had he not been president, Iran would have nuclear weapons and Israel, and possibly the entire Middle East, would have disappeared. The issue of making other countries bear the cost of the war was raised from the outset, with the White House spokeswoman announcing in late March that Trump was interested in inviting Arab countries to share the costs, noting that the expenses had reached tens of billions of dollars by then, and the president requested an additional $200 billion from Congress. In September, Trump posted on "Truth Social" that countries that did not provide any assistance should reimburse the United States after the war ends, as Washington seeks international cooperation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The war began with a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28. Trump's recent remarks come after his Republican party lost the midterm elections, a result he acknowledged was influenced by the war and rising fuel prices.
