**President Trump remarked about the deaths of Iranian officials killed in Israel’s airstrike, jesting that they did not succumb to the coronavirus. He criticized Iran for not heeding his warnings, suggesting the strike could enhance prospects for a nuclear agreement.**
According to CNN’s Dana Bash, Trump made the comments during a phone call on Friday, discussing the aftermath of Israel’s recent airstrike on Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 20 senior Iranian commanders, including high-ranking military officials like General Hossein Salami, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces.
During the conversation, Bash inquired about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s initial statement, which did not explicitly endorse the U.S. support for Israel’s actions. Trump, however, affirmed his steadfast support for Israel, claiming the strike was a “very successful attack.” He emphasized that Iran should have listened to him, who had previously issued a 60-day warning about the potential conflict.
“They should now come to the table to make a deal before it’s too late. It will be too late for them. You know, the people I was dealing with are dead,” Trump remarked, referring to the deceased officials, although he did not name them explicitly, only identifying them as “hardliners.” When asked by Bash if the deaths were a result of the attack, Trump responded with sarcasm, stating that the officials did not die of the flu or the coronavirus.
Trump also conveyed to Fox News’ Bret Baier that the attack was “hit 10 times worse than they thought they would be,” indicating the severity of the strike. Senior U.S. officials informed Fox News that the airstrike targeted a significant number of nuclear scientists and military leaders, with estimates suggesting that 90% of Iran’s top nuclear scientists, along with other senior military officers and leaders, were impacted by the strike.