Former US President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration and Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, for failing to prevent the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East during an interview with Al Arabiya News on Sunday.
“If I were president, that war would have never started. We wouldn’t have had October 7,” Trump told Al Arabiya, regarding the massacre in which Hamas terrorists killed approximately 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.
Trump blamed Iran, holding it responsible for fueling the conflict in Gaza by showing support for Hamas.
“Iran funds it, and Iran had no money when I was president. I would have made a deal with them, and they wouldn’t have done October 7... They had no money, and Biden allowed them to have $300 billion,” Trump claimed, adding that Tehran lacks respect for Biden.
In addition to Gaza, fighting also broke out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel following the October 7 massacre and vowed to continue until a ceasefire was reached in Gaza.
The IDF has since escalated its operations in Lebanon, with strikes targeting Hezbollah’s leadership, including its former leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
“You certainly can’t blame Israel for hitting back. And they hit back harder than anybody would have expected.”
Abraham Accords
Trump also emphasized the importance of the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered agreements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries during his presidency.
“If I win, that will be an absolute priority: to get everyone on board. It’s peace in the Middle East. We need it, and it’s very important. It will happen,” Trump said.
He praised the strong ties between the US and Saudi Arabia and his respect for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“He’s accomplished things that no one else even thought about.”
Russia-Ukraine war
Similarly to the Israel-Hamas war, Trump blamed Biden's policies and claimed that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine would not have started under his leadership either.