A series of decade-old tweets by US President Donald Trump criticising former President Barack Obama over Iran have resurfaced online following the latest US-Israel strikes on Tehran, igniting a fresh political debate.
Social media users began circulating screenshots of Trump’s past posts shortly after Washington confirmed its involvement in coordinated military action alongside Israel. The tweets, written between 2011 and 2013, show Trump accusing Obama of potentially launching military action against Iran to distract from domestic political troubles.
On November 30, 2011, Trump wrote: “In order to get elected, @BarackObama will start a war with Iran.”
Nearly a year later, on October 10, 2012, he posted: “Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin – watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate.”
On November 11, 2013, Trump tweeted: “Remember that I predicted a long time ago that President Obama will attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly-not skilled!”
The resurfaced posts have triggered widespread discussion across political lines. Critics argue that Trump’s earlier warnings about politically motivated military action now stand in contrast to his own decision to back strikes on Iranian targets. Supporters, however, contend that the current situation involves different strategic circumstances and security considerations.
The United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes against targets in Iran on Saturday, sparking swift retaliation by the Islamic republic which responded with missile attacks across the region.
Here are the latest developments as the military action announced by US President Donald Trump and the Israeli government sparked a flurry of retaliatory salvos from Iran that closed airspaces around the Middle East.
Strikes across Iran
The joint operation began with smoke seen rising over Tehran after strikes that Israel said were pre-emptive.
Shortly after, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, posting a surprise video statement announcing US combat operations in Iran, with the goal of "eliminating imminent threats".
The Israeli military said it targeted multiple sites where senior Iranian officials had gathered in Tehran, and said it had launched strikes against Iran's missile launchers.
The strikes followed months of joint planning between the allies, it added.
The Israeli military said on Saturday that 200 fighter jets had taken part in the "extensive attack" on Iran, hitting more than 500 targets.
Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported the strikes targeted Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian.
In an NBC News interview, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Khamenei was alive, along with all high-ranking officials.
The Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website said 85 people were killed in a strike on a girls school in Minab, citing a provincial official who blamed Israel.
AFP was unable to access the site to verify the toll.
Iran ordered the closure of all universities until further notice.
Missile, drone wave
In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and other US bases in the Gulf, after launching a first wave of missile and drone attacks at Israel.
"The first wave of widespread missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the occupied territories has begun," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement, referring to Israel.
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said it was treating a man with blast injuries in the north of the country, after missiles were launched towards Israel from Iran.
The Israeli military said it deployed search and rescue teams to multiple locations across the country following reports of fallen projectiles.
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