Trump to Iran: Go back to the negotiating table, you fired your missiles, and that's enough

US President Donald Trump commented, at dawn on Monday, June 8, on the Iranian missile attack that targeted sites inside  the occupied territories, in a direct response to the airstrike that hit the southern suburbs of Beirut.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump addressed his message to Tehran: "You have fired your missiles and that is enough. Go back to the negotiating table to seal the deal," he said, stressing that the U.S. military is on alert and that an Iranian attack "will not help" the negotiation track.

Trump explained that Washington was "very close" to reaching a deal with Iran, saying, "I would have said that the agreement would be signed on Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday ... And now it's happening."

Trump justifies Iran war: 'I promise nothing'

In an interview with NBC, which  aired Sunday, Trump denied that the war with Iran contradicts his campaign slogan "no new wars," saying he "did not offer a guarantee that no war would break out" if he returned to power, adding, "Why would I build the most powerful army in the world?"

Although Trump boasted during his 2024 campaign that he was "the first president in the modern era who did not start any new war," he reiterated that he "has promised nothing as a candidate," and that the current war "is not an endless war... We've only been fighting it for three months."

During his 2024 campaign, Trump has consistently portrayed his Democratic rivals as warmongers, saying he is a president who has not started "any new wars" and that he will bring an era of peace.

"No wars" in 2024 was one of the main slogans of his campaign, and shortly after winning the presidential election in November 2024, Trump declared, "I will not start a war. I will end the wars."

Trump. Contradiction in statements

Trump said in the interview that as a candidate he "didn't promise anything," and regarding the Iran war, Trump said, "I don't like those never-ending wars. This is not an endless war. We've been fighting it for three months."

Trump abruptly ended the interview after being frustrated by the objections of NBC anchor Kristen Welker.  Trump made it clear that he was "serving the world and serving our country," because he had to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

But in another part of the interview, Trump repeated a contradictory message, saying that U.S. strikes last year had "completely destroyed" Iran's nuclear sites, and defended his earlier decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal, though he did not succeed in reaching a "better deal" as he had promised, saying that "it takes years to get such things done."

Rubio defends Trump's cognitive abilities

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly defended President Donald Trump's cognitive abilities during a House hearing on  Wednesday, rejecting accusations raised by Democratic lawmakers about the president's mental health.

Rubio said the disagreement with Trump could be political or related to his decisions, "but what is certain is that he is not a sleeping president and does not suffer from any cognitive disturbance," and his response came after Rep. Ted Lowe showed videos showing Trump asleep during meetings, saying it was evidence of "something wrong," which Rubio called "ridiculous talk" inappropriate for a foreign policy committee at a sensitive moment.

Trump is working "day and night at an inhumane pace," despite turning 80 soon, the secretary said, adding that his health is not as worrisome as former President Joe Biden did at the end of his term.

A recent poll by The Washington Post, ABC News, and Ipsos showed that 59 percent of respondents believe Donald Trump does not have the mental capacity to lead the country, and 55 percent said he is not in good physical health, despite his latest medical report confirming that he is "still in excellent health."

A sharp message to Netanyahu: "You will have no choice"

Trump told the Financial Times that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no choice but to accept any agreement reached by the United States with Iran because Trump is the decision-maker.

The newspaper quoted Trump as saying he would "have no choice".

CNN quoted a US official as saying that Trump asked Netanyahu, during a phone call on Sunday, to delay launching a retaliatory attack on Iran, hoping to salvage fragile diplomatic efforts.

Trump warned Netanyahu against escalating already escalating tensions in the region, the official said, adding that he believed a deal with Iran was imminent.