Trump news at a glance: Rubio and his boss can’t seem to agree on why US attacked Iran

Key Highlights

• I might have forced their hand.
• We were having negotiations with these lunatics, and it was my opinion that they were going to attack first.
• They were going to attack.
• If we didn’t do it, they were going to attack first.
• I felt strongly about that.”Senate Democrats reacted furiously after Rubio suggested on a visit to Capitol Hill that Saturday’s strikes were driven by the need to pre-empt Iranian retaliation against US interests in response to Israeli attacks that Washington knew was coming. Trump has provided fluid reasoning for why he ordered attacks last Saturday, in concert with Israeli strikes, one of which killed Iran’s most powerful figure, the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He has also sent mixed signals about whether he is willing to deploy US forces in a “boots on the ground” capacity, a decision that would almost certainly further inflame domestic criticism. Trump denies Israel forced US’s hand over Iran strikesTrump has provided fluid reasoning for why he ordered attacks last Saturday, in concert with Israeli strikes, one of which killed Iran’s most powerful figure, the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.