Trump Promises Netanyahu Support for Strikes Against Iran

US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago in December that he would support Israeli strikes against Iran's ballistic missile program if Washington and Tehran could not reach an accord, CBS reports citing sources.

The meeting between the two leaders took place on December 29 of last year. At that time, Trump commented on the potential for new strikes against Iran, stating that the US did not want to waste fuel on its strategic bombers.

According to the television channel, US military and intelligence officials had previously begun discussing the possibility of new strikes against Iran. Sources cited by CBS indicate that the discussions included US assistance to Israel, such as refueling Israeli aircraft and obtaining flight permissions from neighboring countries.

On Friday, Trump told reporters that there is a need for a second US Navy carrier group in the Middle East, which media report is heading to the region if the agreement with Tehran fails. While he emphasized his hope for a successful outcome to negotiations, he warned that Tehran would face serious consequences if no agreement is reached and that it would be a 'very bad day' for the country.