Trump expressed surprise that Iran retaliated by attacking neighboring countries after being struck by the U.S. and Israel, noting that it reveals the level of evil we are currently facing.
On 3 Mar 2026 GMT+7, U.S. President Donald Trump said during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House that he believed the countries targeted by Iran were all surprised by this retaliation, and he himself was also surprised to see the Tehran government launch attacks on neighboring countries.
"It's remarkable that they attacked countries that... you know, we might call them neutral, right? They have coexisted for a very long time... I think they are surprised. I am surprised. And now all those countries have turned to fight Iran, and it's a very intense fight," he said.
The U.S. president added that Iran's retaliatory attacks show "the level of evil we are facing. They attacked even those who were at least somewhat friendly and had no major issues before. Moreover, they targeted only civilian areas, hotels, and residential buildings, while we chose much more appropriate targets and are hitting them hard."
Trump's remarks align with his interview with Jake Tapper of CNN last Monday, in which he stated that "the biggest surprise" was Iran launching attacks on Arab countries in the Middle East region.
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.cnn