Trump: Decision to Strike Iran Was 'Very Simple'

President Trump has kept a relatively low profile since the Iran military operation began, but he has given a series of short interviews to various news outlets. In a conversation with NBC News, for example, the president said the decision to authorize the operation wasn't difficult. "They weren't willing to stop their nuclear research," Trump said. "They weren't willing to say they will not have a nuclear weapon. Very simple."

The outlet provides some background, recounting a tense exchange between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during talks on Thursday. When Araghchi asserted that his nation had an "inalienable right" to keep enriching uranium, Witkoff shot back that the US has an "inalienable right" to stop them. Araghchi then grew heated, according to the account, and the talks soon collapsed. By early Saturday, "Operation Epic Fury" was underway.

Trump monitored the military operation not from the Situation Room at the White House but from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, notes AFP. The White House released photos of Trump and top aides at the site. They also released photos of Vice President JD Vance in the actual Situation Room in Washington.