The conflict between Israel and Iran might not be America's war, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told Newsmax, but President Donald Trump might get involved to help destroy Tehran's nuclear program.
"I think that the calculus will be, in large part, driven by time," Friedman said Monday on "Wake Up America." "I think the president would like this war to end. Frankly, I think everybody would like it to end, as long as it ends successfully. Now, the goal is to destroy Iran's nuclear capability and to destroy its ballistic missile capability.
"As far as the missiles are concerned, Israel is doing a perfectly good job on its own. As far as maybe 13 of the 14 nuclear facilities, I would say the same. Most of them are above ground.
"When you get to Fordow, which is kind of buried in on the side of a mountain hundreds of feet deep, I'm not sure that Israel has all the equipment it needs. So, what I would say is, from President Trump's perspective, if a day of flying B-52s or B-2 bombers with 30,000 pound ordnances … over that Fordow facility brings this war to an end by weeks, whereas otherwise Israel would have to kind of chip away and chip away and chip away, I think he'll consider it."
The hostilities began Friday when Israel launched a series of deadly missile strikes against Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, which the Jewish state considers an existential threat. Recent intelligence suggests that Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons capabilities.
Trump has been "very clear" that the conflict in the Middle East is, ultimately, not the United States' fight, Friedman said.
"But the entire world, certainly, the United States, has a significant interest in making sure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon," he said. "The range of Iran's missiles, whether it's now or in a year or two, could easily hit the United States, and so this is not Israel fighting Iran.
"This is the free world fighting against radical Islamic terrorists and making sure they don't get nuclear weapons. So, I'm sure that the president will consider that."
In terms of what "America has to offer," Friedman said he "wouldn't expect a major U.S. engagement," but perhaps a "day or two" with "uniquely powerful American assets" to help turn the conflict's tide.
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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