Once again, Trump brandishes his typical ‘I did it’ claim

President Donald Trump, known for inserting himself into foreign policy flashpoints with tall claims, has once again taken credit — and this time for Israel’s recent strikes on Iran.

Trump’s statement about the June 13 Israeli operation Operation Rising Lion, which targeted uranium enrichment sites and killed top Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists, appears at odds with that of his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. While Trump boasted of foreknowledge and indirect orchestration, Rubio described the strikes as a “unilateral action” by Israel.

Trump, who previously claimed to have single-handedly de-escalated tensions between India and Pakistan in early May, a claim firmly denied by New Delhi, took to Truth Social to assert: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”

Ironically, Iran and the US were scheduled to resume nuclear negotiations on June 15 in Muscat, Oman, where the next round was expected to focus on uranium enrichment limits and sanctions relief. Those talks have since been suspended, according to both the Oman News Agency and Iranian state television, following Israel’s military action.

Earlier that day, Rubio contradicted the president’s narrative. In a post on X, he wrote: “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defence. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”

Despite this, Trump persisted with his characteristic tone, writing: “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done… They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction… Iran must make a deal before there is nothing left… JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!”

Renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs, who has advised three UN Secretaries-General, has called the latest Israeli strike part of the long-standing “Clean Break” strategy, a 1996 plan backed by Benjamin Netanyahu and American neoconservatives to reshape the Middle East through force. According to Sachs, six of the seven targeted countries — Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Libya — have already experienced collapse or destabilisation. Iran, he has long argued, was next.

Sachs also criticised the US for what he termed a “long-term deep state policy,” asserting that trillions of taxpayer dollars have been spent without public understanding of the true objectives.

Several analysts believe that with much of the Middle East destabilised, Washington sees an opportunity to shift its strategic attention to the Pacific — towards China.

Donald TrumpIran-Israel conflictMarco Rubiomilitary operation