Trump: Israel won’t drag us into war with Iran, but we’ll lead the pack if no deal made

US President Donald Trump says that the US would “willingly” join Israel in launching a military attack on Iran should new nuclear deal negotiations fail, but reiterates his hope that the issue of Iran’s nuclear program can be solved through diplomacy.

He discusses his hopes for Iran and the Middle East in a wider interview with Time Magazine, looking back at the first 100 days of his second term in office.

Asked about reports that he recently quashed Israeli proposals for a series of joint strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Trump acknowledges that while he didn’t block Israel’s plans outright, he “didn’t make it comfortable” for them to proceed.

“I think we can make a deal without the attack. I hope we can,” he tells Time, although he acknowledges, as he has throughout the process of bringing Iran to the table for nuclear talks, that military action may be required down the line.

“I didn’t make it comfortable for them, but I didn’t say no,” Trump repeats. “Ultimately, I was going to leave that choice to them, but I said I would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped.”

Asked if he is worried about being “dragged in” to a war with Iran by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump says the Israeli leader “may go into a war. But we’re not getting dragged in.”

But he stresses that this doesn’t mean US military action isn’t a possibility.

“You asked if he’d drag me in, like I’d go in unwillingly. No, I may go in very willingly if we can’t get a deal. If we don’t make a deal, I’ll be leading the pack.”