As coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran under “Operation Epic Fury” escalated tensions across the Middle East, a social media post written by US President Donald Trump in 2013 resurfaced and rapidly went viral online. In the decade-old message, Trump had claimed that then president Barack Obama might attack Iran because of unsuccessful negotiations, a remark that has now drawn renewed attention amid the current military confrontation.
The resurfaced post gained traction immediately after reports emerged of large-scale missile strikes targeting Iranian government and military installations, including locations linked to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Iranian presidency. The attacks marked one of the most serious escalations in years, with explosions reported across Tehran and other cities. Iran responded with retaliatory missile strikes against Israel and several US military facilities across the Gulf region, including bases in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait, further widening the conflict.
The renewed focus on Trump’s earlier statement has prompted comparisons between past and present US policy toward Iran. During Obama’s second term, Washington pursued diplomacy through negotiations involving the P5+1 countries, which eventually produced the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, an agreement that froze key aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump later withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018, fundamentally reshaping US-Iran relations and contributing to years of heightened tensions.
Following the latest strikes, Iranian authorities reportedly moved Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to a secure location as a precaution. President Trump defended the military action by stating that Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons and described the operation as necessary to eliminate what he called imminent threats posed by the Iranian government.
The viral circulation of Trump’s 2013 post highlights how earlier political statements are being reinterpreted in light of current events, as the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran enters a dangerous new phase marked by direct military exchanges and growing fears of broader regional escalation.
