ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked Trump several questions regarding possible U.S. retaliatory attacks on Iran if the country did, indeed, launch a drone attacks on two, Saudi oil processing facilities Saturday.
Trump said the U.S. would help the Saudis, if needed, but the Saudis will foot the bill for any military help the U.S. lends them.
“This is something much different than other presidents would mention, Jon, but the fact is that the Saudis are going to have a lot of involvement in this if we decide to do something,” Trump said. “They’ll be very much involved. And that includes payment. And they understand that fully.”
Trump did appear to tone down his ‘lock and loaded’ tweet. “But, a senior official told ABC News that the president knows Iran was behind the attack and wants Saudi Arabia to acknowledge that fact publicly if they want assistance from the U.S.“
“Saudi military spokesperson Col. Turki al-Malki said on Monday that initial investigations show Iranian weapons were used in the attack and that those weapons were not launched from inside Yemen.“
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced Tuesday, “there will be no talks with the U.S. at any level.”
“Iranian state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying this is the position of the entire leadership of the country and that “all officials in the Islamic Republic unanimously believe this.”
In return, we have to prove that the policy is not worth a penny for the Iranian nation,” Khamenei said. “That’s why all Iranian officials, from the president and the foreign minister to all others have announced that we do not negotiate (with the U.S.) either bilaterally or multilaterally.”
