President Donald Trump posted on Sunday that he has always supported the underdog — "once it was Israel, now it's Iran" — adding a winking emoji. The remark caps a week of mixed signals from the president regarding US alignment between Israel and Iran, following earlier pledges to defend Israel and reported sympathy for Iran's demand that Israel halt attacks on Hezbollah.
President Donald Trump posted on Sunday afternoon: “I always support the underdog — once it was Israel, now it’s Iran 😉.” The remark marks a sharp rhetorical shift from his position earlier this week, when he told reporters, “Certainly, unequivocally,” that the US would defend Israel if it struck Iran — as The Zioneer reported in the early hours of Friday (June 19). On that same Friday, a single unconfirmed Telegram report claimed Trump had aligned with Iran’s demand that Israel stop attacking Hezbollah. The new post — from Trump himself, on his own platform — is the first direct statement from the president suggesting a tilt away from Israel, though it does not mention any specific policy or condition. The winking emoji leaves room for interpretation: derisive humor, a genuine signal, or an attempt to rattle both sides. No official White House clarification has followed, and it remains unclear whether the statement reflects a change in US posture or a personal aside.
The remark comes against a broader backdrop of US-Iran engagement this month. On June 18, Trump said he will “likely” endorse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel’s upcoming election. On June 25, he revealed that Turkey considered joining the war alongside Iran and said he asked President Erdogan to stay out. On June 16, he declared the war with Iran the “tenth war” he is ending, as the Wall Street Journal reported a sanctions-relief deal is near. The latest post injects new ambiguity at a moment of rapid diplomatic and military flux.
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