The US was concerned that the Iranians had taken its downed navigator hostage, and were forcing him to try to lure American rescue forces into an ambush, US President Donald Trump tells Channel 12, hours after the missing service member was rescued.
The airman said “God is good” on his encrypted communications device, leading rescuers to suspect he was being held and made to speak, Trump tells the Israeli outlet. It took several hours for US forces to determine that the colonel, being a religious individual, was speaking of his own volition.
Trump says that Israel helped a little in the rescue.
He calls Israelis “very brave,” and says the relationship is like that of a “big brother and little brother.”
Trump also says that he believes it is still possible to reach a deal with Iran before he carries out his threat to “bomb everything” on Tuesday.
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