Netanyahu denies forcing US into war after mixed messages from Rubio, Johnson



In his Monday appearance on Fox News' "Hannity," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the latest U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran and denied the dominant interpretation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's and House Speaker Mike Johnson's recent remarks about the genesis of the attacks.

Compelled to act?

The Trump administration attempted on Monday to address the mounting confusion about the justification and objectives for the Iran strikes.

'We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces.'

As part of this broader effort, Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill, "Why now? The first is it was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone, the United States or Israel or anyone, they were going to respond and respond against the United States."

"The assessment that was made that if we stood and waited for that attack to come first before we hit them, we would suffer much higher casualties," said Rubio.

"We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action, we knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties and perhaps even higher [than] those killed," continued the secretary. "And then we would all be here answering questions about why we knew that and didn’t act."

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), a member of the Gang of Eight who was briefed ahead of the resumption of strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, echoed Rubio, suggesting to reporters that the strikes were a "defensive measure."

"Israel was determined to act in their own defense here with or without American support," said Johnson, suggesting further that Iran posed an "existential threat" to Israel, and its missile production was outstripping "our allies in the region."

RELATED: Iranian state TV hijacked with Trump, Netanyahu message urging citizens to 'seize control'

Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images

"Because Israel was determined to act with or without the U.S., our commander in chief and the administration and the officials I just named had a very difficult decision to make," continued Johnson. "They had to evaluate the threats to the U.S. — to our troops, to our installations, to our assets in the region and beyond — and they determined because of the exquisite intelligence that we had that if Israel fired upon Iran and took action against Iran to take out the missiles, then they would have immediately retaliated against U.S. personnel and assets."

The suggestion that probable blowback from an ally's planned preemptive attack on another country forced America's involvement in a deadly conflict prompted outrage and debate — even on the right.

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh, for instance, said in response to Rubio's statement, "So he's flat out telling us that we're in a war with Iran because Israel forced our hand. This is basically the worst possible thing he could have said."

RELATED: Poll: GOP voters' lukewarm support for Iran strikes significantly lower than past conflicts

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

On the flip side, National Review editor Philip Klein suggested that critics had misconstrued Rubio's meaning.

Klein noted that later in Rubio's press conference, the secretary of state said that the U.S. was not forced to strike because of an impending Israeli action and that "this operation needed to happen because Iran in about a year or a year and a half would cross the line of immunity, meaning they would have so many short-range missiles, so many drones, that no one could do anything about it because they could hold the whole world hostage."

'Nobody drags Donald Trump into anything.'

Democrats such as Sen. Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), and former Biden White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden made hay of Rubio's and/or Johnson's remarks as did Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who stated, "Mr. Rubio admitted what we all knew: U.S. has entered a war of choice on behalf of Israel. There was never any so-called Iranian 'threat.' Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters."

The outrage over the suggestion that America's hand was forced not by an enemy but by a friend appears to have prompted a response from President Donald Trump, who noted on Monday evening,

The Radical Left Democrats, a Party that has completely lost its way, are complaining bitterly about the very necessary and important attack, by the United States and Israel, on Iran. What most people understand is that they are only complaining BECAUSE I DID IT and, if I didn’t do it, they would be screaming — Why didn’t “TRUMP” attack Iran, he should do it, IMMEDIATELY?

Trump then urged his followers to watch Netanyahu's interview on Fox News, where Hannity asked the Israeli prime minister about the forced-to-act claim.

"There are people that say, 'Well, the prime minister of Israel dragged Donald Trump into it,'" said Hannity. "As somebody that's been friends with him over 30 years, nobody drags Donald Trump into anything, number one, but I want to get your reaction to that."

Netanyahu laughed, then said, "Well, you're right. I mean that's — that's ridiculous. Donald Trump is the strongest leader in the world. He does what he thinks is right for America. He does also what he thinks is right for future generations, and frankly, we're partners in that effort."

The Israeli leader suggested that it was necessary to strike because Iran "started building new sites, new places, underground bunkers that would make their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb programs immune within months. If no action was taken now, no action could be taken in the future."

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Poll: GOP voters' lukewarm support for Iran strikes significantly lower than past conflicts



A Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Sunday revealed that the joint U.S.-Israeli regime-change strikes are unpopular with most Americans.

While Republicans are apparently more supportive of the military campaign than their counterparts, the new poll found that such support is largely conditional and far less than for the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts.

The new polling is consistent with surveys conducted last month, which indicated that Americans were not particularly keen on the prospect of a new series of U.S. military strikes against Iran.

For instance, an SSRS/University of Maryland poll, conducted from Feb. 5 to Feb. 9, found that 21% of respondents favored an attack, 49% were opposed, and 30% were unsure. An Economist/YouGov poll found that 28% of respondents supported and 48% opposed the U.S. taking military action in Iran.

Despite strong public headwinds, the U.S. joined Israel in hammering the Shiite nation anyway, destroying numerous military assets and assassinating top Iranian officials over the weekend while sustaining numerous casualties.

According to the new Reuters/Ipsos poll, 27% of respondents said that they approved of the strikes, 43% signaled disapproval, and 29% said they weren't sure.

'We expect casualties.'

Broken down by party affiliation:

  • 55% of Republicans approved of the strikes, 32% said they were unsure or skipped the question, and 13% said they disapproved;
  • 7% of Democrats said they approved, 19% said they were unsure or skipped the question, and 74% said they disapproved; and
  • 19% of individuals in the "other" camp said they approved, 38% said they were unsure or skipped the question, and 44% said they disapproved.

The support for the present conflict pales in comparison to American support for the Iraq war prior to and following the March 20, 2003, invasion.

A poll conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News just prior to the invasion of Iraq found that 71% of Americans supported going to war. An Ipsos-Reid poll conducted in the two days leading up to the invasion found that roughly nine in 10 Republicans and half of Democrats supported going to war.

The Pew Research Center revealed days later that "support for the decision to go to war has remained steady at about seven-in-ten since the fighting began."

A total of 56% of respondents said that Trump "is too willing to use military force to advance U.S. interests." Nearly a quarter of Republicans — 23% — agreed with this statement.

RELATED: Columbia University distances itself from 'death to America' student group

US Central Command

The poll found that 42% of Republicans would be less likely to support the military campaign against Iran if it leads to "U.S. troops in the Middle East being killed or injured."

U.S. Central command indicated that as of Monday morning, four American service members had been killed in action.

Six more service members were nearly killed on Sunday in an apparent friendly-fire incident in which three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down over Kuwait. CENTCOM noted that all six aircrew personnel "ejected safely, have been recovered, and are in stable condition."

In an interview on Sunday with the New York Times, President Donald Trump discussed the casualties sustained so far in the conflict and suggested that there will likely be more.

"Three is three too many as far as I'm concerned," Trump said. "If you look at projections — they do projections — it, you know, it could be quite a bit higher than that."

"We expect casualties," Trump added.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also found that 45% of respondents, including 34% of Republicans and 44% of independents, would be less likely to support the campaign if domestic gas or oil prices spiked.

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Columbia University distances itself from 'death to America' student group



Columbia University — an institution whose radicalism frequently spills out into the streets of Manhattan — is trying to distance itself from Columbia University Apartheid Divest after the coalition of student extremists echoed Iranian dictator Ali Khamenei's go-to motto following his assassination on Saturday.

CUAD, a coalition of anti-Israel student groups that purportedly operates "outside of the purview of a registered student organization," didn't take the news of Khamenei's death particularly well, calling it "devastating news."

'Columbia has not, and will not, recognize or meet with the group.'

In another social media post, which has since been deleted, the student group wrote, "Marg bar Amrika."

This Persian phrase, which means "Death to America," was one of the dead ayatollah's go-to slogans.

"The slogan and shout of 'Death to the U.S.' by the Iranian nation has strong logical and rational support and stems from the Constitution and fundamental thoughts that brooks no injustice and oppression," Khamenei stated a decade ago. "This slogan means death to the policies of the U.S. and arrogant powers and this logic is accepted by every nation when explained in clear terms."

CUAD noted in a subsequent tweet that was taken down by Elon Musk's X for violating the platform's rules, "X forced use[sic] to delete our 'marg bar amrika' tweet in order to gain back access to our account but the sentiment still stands."

RELATED: 'Painful days': Iran kills US troops as Trump threatens decapitated Iranian regime

Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images

The university — which had its accreditation threatened last year over its alleged "indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students" and is paying the federal government over $220 million to settle investigations into alleged discrimination on campus — rushed to denounce CUAD's "violent, abhorrent language."

Columbia emphasized that "'CUAD' is not a recognized student group and is not affiliated, in any fashion, with the University"; "the matter has been referred to law enforcement for further investigation"; and "there is no evidence, at this point, that anyone currently in control of this social media account is a Columbia student, staff, or faculty member."

While it is unclear who presently mans the radical group's social media accounts, Mahmoud Khalil — a Syrian-born radical and former Columbia University graduate student who is presently fighting potential deportation by the Trump administration to Algeria — previously identified himself as a spokesman for CUAD.

The university, which has been home to anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests in recent days, noted that it denounced the group last July, making clear "Columbia has not, and will not, recognize or meet with the group that calls itself 'Columbia University Apartheid Divest' (CUAD), its representatives, or any of its affiliated organizations."

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'Painful days': Iran kills US troops as Trump threatens decapitated Iranian regime



President Donald Trump exchanged threats with remnants of the Iranian regime ahead of the second day of the joint U.S.-Israeli regime-change strikes on the West Asian nation.

Tehran, evidently keen to test Trump's resolve despite losing most of its military and political leaders in Saturday's assassinations, sought to make good on its tough talk with continued retaliatory strikes in the region, killing at least three Americans, at least nine Israelis, and multiple victims in neighboring Arab states.

'We will hunt you down, and we will kill you.'

The U.S and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday, aerially assassinating Iran's top brass — including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the head of Iran's foreign intelligence unit, and the regime's adviser on the war with Israel — and destroying hundreds of "regime targets" including an Iranian Jamaran-class warship.

Following confirmation that their dictator, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the initial strikes, multitudes of Iranians gathered in Tehran's Enghelab Square to mourn his demise while remaining elements of the regime vowed revenge.

Iran promptly responded with retaliatory strikes in Bahrain, Qatar, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, and Oman — in several cases targeting U.S. military assets.

Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for the Iranian military, stated, "God willing, we will give a lesson to the U.S. and Israel that they have not experienced in their history," reported the Iranian state-linked Tasnim News Agency.

RELATED: Israeli officials say Khamenei is dead. Update: Trump confirms.

Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images

Amidst more bluster from Iranian regimists who formed a transitional council to lead the country following Khamenei's death, President Donald Trump noted on Truth Social shortly after midnight on Sunday, "Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"

Like Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made abundantly clear precisely what fate awaits those who'd target American forces: "We will hunt you down, and we will kill you."

Iran — whose media alleged that over 200 people, including 145 children, were killed in the initial joint U.S.-Israel strikes — did not heed Trump's warning.

On Sunday morning, the decapitated regime launched another wave of missile and drone attacks on Israel and American military assets, including the U.S. Fifth Fleet's headquarters in Bahrain.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly claimed in a statement on Sunday that the Iranian military will continue to act "with power" and "frustrate the enemies as always."

Pezeshkian reportedly also characterized the attacks "by the American-Zionist axis" as a "declaration of open war with Muslims, especially Shiites in the world."

Amid the latest round of Iranian retaliation strikes, U.S. Central Command indicated that "as of 9:30 am ET, March 1, three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury."

'These are painful days.'

"Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty," CENTCOM noted further. "Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing."

After bombarding Tehran overnight, the Israeli Air Force announced late Sunday morning that it had "begun another wave of strikes in the heart of Tehran."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, "Our forces are now striking at the heart of Tehran with intensifying force, and this will only grow even stronger in the coming days. That said, these are painful days."

The U.S. has similarly executed another round of strikes against Iran, reported CBS News.

Trump told CNBC on Sunday that the American operation in Iran is "moving along very well, very well — ahead of schedule."

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Lindsey Graham dons 'Make Iran Great Again' hat amid raging protests against Khamenei regime



Protests have rocked Iran since late December, and some American leaders, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have voiced support for the cause.

On an appearance on Fox News on Sunday night, Graham donned a black baseball cap that read: "Make Iran Great Again."

'I pray and hope that 2026 will be the year that we make Iran great again.'

As he put on the hat, Graham said, "I pray and hope that 2026 will be the year that we make Iran great again."

Last Friday, President Trump warned Iranian leaders that there will be hell to pay if any protesters are killed: "If Iran [shoots] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

RELATED: Trump says if Iran 'kills peaceful protesters,' the US 'will come to their rescue'

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Protests have reportedly broken out in more than 220 locations in 26 of the 31 provinces in Iran. According to the Associated Press, more than 20 people have been killed, and nearly 1,000 people have been arrested.

The protests began springing up in December 2025, supposedly in response to mounting economic pressures, including the collapse of the Iranian currency, a new policy that raised the price of gas, and inflation rates as high as 40%.

On Saturday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly warned that "rioters must be put in their place," but the protests have shown little sign of slowing down in the first week of 2026.

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‘Chosen By Allah’: The Truth Behind Iran’s Mission to DESTROY The West | Rumors of War Part 1
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‘Chosen By Allah’: The Truth Behind Iran’s Mission to DESTROY The West | Rumors of War Part 1

'You and your Hamas friends will regret your barbaric actions,' Israel warns Iranian leader on social media



The Jewish State directly responded to Islamic Republic of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on X.

"Heads of the Zionist regime and their backers should know that the massacre and mass murder of the people of #Gaza will cause a larger calamity to come upon them," a post on Khamenei's account declared.

"It's easy to be brave when you’re hiding behind a keyboard. You and your Hamas friends will regret your barbaric actions very soon," Israel responded.

— (@)

Many people in Israel have been slaughtered due to brutal attacks perpetrated by Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the utter horror, noting that families were killed in their homes, women were "brutally raped" and killed, and people were kidnapped, including children. "They beheaded soldiers," he said.

Netanyahu has described Hamas as "savages," and noted that they "bound, burned, and executed children."

At least 14 American citizens have been killed, President Joe Biden has said. He also noted that U.S. citizens are among the individuals being held by Hamas. "We stand with Israel," the president declared during his speech on Tuesday.

Some U.S. citizens, including the husband of Blaze Media employee Ashton DeGroot are currently stranded in Israel.

"Given the immediate challenges with getting US commercial airlines into Israel, it's imperative that the administration use military planes to help get US citizens out of Israel as expeditiously as possible," GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York has tweeted. "In addition, we must take steps to indemnify the commercial airline carriers to get them flying back into Israel as quickly as possible — as it stands we are looking at November as the earliest time they will fly into Israel," he added.

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Iran debuts a new 'Khaibar-buster' missile that can reportedly strike Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East



Iran has just unveiled a new missile that can strike targets in Israel and American military bases in the Middle East.

On Wednesday, the Iranian government debuted its new solid-fuel missile on state television. The missile has a range of 1,450 kilometers — roughly 900 miles — and is called the Khaibar-buster.

Khaibar was an ancient Jewish palace that was overrun by Muslim armies under the leadership of Muhammad in the early days of Islamic expansion.

The Khaibar-buster is manufactured completely domestically in Iran and, per the Times of Israel, may be able to circumvent sophisticated missile defense systems.

Iran debuted its new missile as the United States continues to re-negotiate the 2015 nuclear agreement. Iran has long claimed that it does not wish to develop nuclear weapons and insists that its missile development programs are simply a deterrent.

The IRGC unveils the Kheibar shekan, a new surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 1450 kilometers. https://twitter.com/pandagulu/status/1490744344831221762\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/Gmn1ohfDxE
— Yossi Mansharof (@Yossi Mansharof) 1644396897

Iran isn’t able to launch the Khaibar-buster at intercontinental targets, but the new missile is able to reach American military bases in the Middle East.

Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff for the Iranian armed forces, described the Khaibar-buster as a “long-range missile” and said that “the enemies of the Revolution and the Islamic Republic do not understand anything but the language of power and force.”

Iranian leadership is dedicated to wiping the Jewish state of Israel off the map. Ayatollah Khamenei has even referred to the “Zionist regime” as a “long-lasting virus.”

Some argue that the Zionist regime is a reality that the region must come to terms with. Today the #Covid_19 is a reality; should it be accepted or fought?!\nThe long-lasting virus of Zionism will be uprooted thanks to the determination and faith of the youth. #Covid1948
— Khamenei.ir (@Khamenei.ir) 1590136492

Iran’s aggressiveness towards and perpetual harassment of Israel have led to the Jewish state hastening the development of new missile defense systems. Israel is 620 miles away from Iran, well within the Khaibar-buster’s range. This missile is capable of reaching targets deep inside Israel.

This past January, Iran successfully tested a solid-fuel rocket engine that is allegedly designed to launch satellites into orbit. According to an Iranian spokesperson, via Reuters, this rocket launched research devices into space at an “altitude of 470 km (290 miles) and at a speed of 7,350 meters per second.”

Satellite rocket engines are usually powered with liquid fuel, and pure solid-fuel rockets are typically associated with ballistic missile systems, so the international community remains highly skeptical of Iran’s intentions.

It’s unclear whether the rocket reached orbit, but the Iranian government confirmed, “The intended research objectives of this launch were achieved.”

According to the U.S. State Department, this launch violated a 2015 U.N. Security Council resolution. A State Department spokesperson said, “The United States remains concerned with Iran’s development of space launch vehicles which pose a significant proliferation concern.”

Last week, the State Department confirmed that Iran was merely weeks away from being able to fuel and power a nuclear weapon.

Nikki Haley bashes Twitter for flagging election tweet but allowing Iranian leader’s Holocaust denial



Nikki Haley challenged Twitter on Friday after the social media platform flagged one of her tweets regarding election fraud. The former United Nations ambassador demanded to know why her tweet was tagged with a warning label from Twitter, but there was no disclaimer whatsoever on a tweet from Iran's leader doubting the Holocaust.

Haley posted a general warning about election fraud, while not citing the 2020 presidential election or any specific situation. The tweet in question included a link to "Stand for America," Haley's "advocacy group promoting public policies that strengthen America's economy, culture, and national security."

"Despite what the media tells us, election fraud does happen, and policies like ballot harvesting and mailing ballots to people who don't request them makes it easier," Haley tweeted. "That needs to stop."

In less than two hours, Twitter slapped a warning label on Haley's tweet that said, "This claim about election fraud is disputed." The warning linked to a fact-checking website that said voter fraud was "incredibly rare."

Haley fired off a tweet pointing out how her post was flagged by Twitter, but Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can spread doubts about the Holocaust on Twitter without any fact-checking.

Haley included a screenshot of Khamenei's tweet from October, where he said, "The next question to ask is: why is it a crime to raise doubts about the Holocaust? Why should anyone who writes about such doubts be imprisoned while insulting the Prophet (pbuh) is allowed?"

Haley took aim at Twitter by writing, "Wow. When Iran's Ayatollah says the Holocaust didn't happen, Twitter doesn't say 'this claim is disputed.' When I say ballot harvesting makes election fraud easier Twitter says that's disputed. Wonder why conservatives don't trust big tech?"

Wow.  When Iran’s Ayatollah says the Holocaust didn’t happen, Twitter doesn’t say “this claim is disputed.”  When I… https://t.co/tAsnVn0pWo
— Nikki Haley (@Nikki Haley)1605295021.0

Twitter claims that Haley's tweet was flagged because it violated the company's Civic Integrity Policy, which states, "You may not use Twitter's services for the purpose of manipulating or interfering in elections or other civic processes."

This isn't the first time Haley has questioned Twitter for allowing the Ayatollah to post questionable ideas on the social media network, but has no issues in censoring conservatives.

During a hearing on anti-Semitism in July, a Twitter representative defended the social media company's decision not to block tweets from Khamenei calling for genocide, while at the same time flagging tweets from President Donald Trump.

"What does this say when @Twitter censors @realDonaldTrump more than the Ayatollah? Social media needs to give conservatives the same rights as they give terrorist leaders."

What does this say when @Twitter censors @realDonaldTrump more than the Ayatollah? Social media needs to give conse… https://t.co/fMI6tIKhRO
— Nikki Haley (@Nikki Haley)1596111839.0

During a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee last month, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) aggressively questioned Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey regarding Khamenei's Holocaust denial. Dorsey admitted that he considered Holocaust denial as "misleading information," but Twitter doesn't have a "policy against that type of misleading information."

Khamenei has questioned if the Holocaust really happened in the past.

#Holocaust is an event whose reality is uncertain and if it has happened, it's uncertain how it has happened.
— Khamenei.ir (@Khamenei.ir)1395391077.0

The website for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum published an article titled: "Holocaust Denial and Distortion from Iranian Government and Official Media Sources," which includes 30 examples of Holocaust misinformation from Iran between 1998–2016, including several instances by Khamenei.