President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Turkey could have entered the war against Israel alongside Iran but refrained because of his influence, according to N12 and Yediot Ahronot reports. He also stated that the United States has a duty to maintain the engines of Turkish F-35s, and described Turkey as familiar with Iran and its problems.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Turkey could have entered the war against Israel alongside Iran but refrained because of his influence, and reiterated that the United States has a duty to maintain the engines of F-35s sold to Turkey, according to reports from N12, Yediot Ahronot, Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), and Abu Ali Express. The statements, which emerged around 16:00 Jerusalem, mark the latest development in a day of fast-moving signals on the future of Turkey's role in the F-35 program and the broader regional conflict.
The new claims build on a series of reports earlier Tuesday. At 05:51 Jerusalem, The New York Times reported that Trump was expected to signal readiness to return Turkey to the F-35 program. At 08:37, The Zioneer reported that Trump had moved to restore Turkey's F-35 access, with Prime Minister Netanyahu warning of a threat to Israel's air superiority. By 13:27, Col. (res.) Uzi Dayan warned that a Turkish F-35 acquisition would be dangerous but likely blocked. These reports were followed by a 15:42 analysis from the 301 platform warning that Turkey is becoming a major strategic challenge. The current remarks also echo a revelation from June 25, when Trump said Turkey had considered joining the war and that he personally asked President Erdogan to stay out — a claim that was reported at the time but not independently confirmed.
The thread of reports on Tuesday shows the Trump administration's posture toward Turkey evolving rapidly, with the president now directly attributing Turkey's restraint to his own intervention. The statements come amid a broader debate over the strategic implications of reintegrating Turkey into the F-35 program, which was suspended after Ankara acquired Russian S-400 air defense systems. Israeli officials have expressed concern that the move could erode Israel's air superiority in the region.
The exact context of Trump's latest remarks — whether they were part of an interview, press conference, or social media post — was not immediately clear. The statements have not been confirmed by official US channels, and the administration has not issued a formal statement on the matter.
5 developments
- ConfirmedTrump on potential Israel-Turkey clash: 'Not going to happen while I'm president'
- StrongTrump reveals Turkey considered joining Iran war, says he asked Erdogan to stay out
- StrongTrump says Israel not involved in strikes on Iran
- ConfirmedTrump says Netanyahu will do what he tells him, claims Israel won't return to war with Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake