White House Says Trump 'Not Making Anything Up' On War, Wouldn't Be 'Happy' If Putin Helps Iran

Washington: The White House has defended US President Donald Trump over his justification for launching military action against Iran, insisting that the president is relying on intelligence assessments and “not making anything up.”

During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected suggestions that Trump fabricated claims about an imminent Iranian threat to justify the war. She said the president’s decisions were based on intelligence reports and information gathered during negotiations with Iranian officials over the past year.

“The president is not making anything up,” Leavitt said, adding that Trump reviews intelligence regularly and acted because he believed Iran posed a direct threat to the United States and its assets in the region.

The comments came after reporters questioned Trump’s earlier statements that Iran was preparing to strike US targets within days, which he cited as the reason for launching the military operation against Tehran.

Leavitt said the president believed Iran had been acting in bad faith during diplomatic talks while continuing to advance its nuclear programme and expand its ballistic missile arsenal.

The White House also addressed reports suggesting that Vladimir Putin could be assisting Iran during the conflict. According to Leavitt, the US has conveyed to Moscow that any intelligence-sharing with Tehran would be unacceptable.

“The president and his special envoy have both sent a message to Russia that if that was taking place, it’s not something they would be happy with and they hope that it is not taking place,” she said.

Her remarks came after reporters questioned how Russian President Vladimir Putin could help ease tensions in the Middle East while simultaneously reaffirming support for Iran. The Kremlin has expressed solidarity with Tehran during the ongoing conflict, raising concerns in Washington about Moscow’s possible role.

Media reports have suggested that Moscow may have passed sensitive information to Tehran, including details about the locations of US warships and aircraft in the region, though Russian officials have denied the allegations.

Trump had previously said the United States launched the operation because he believed Iran was planning attacks on US targets within days. According to the White House, the decision was also influenced by concerns over Iran’s expanding ballistic missile capabilities and nuclear programme.

Despite the concerns, Washington has so far taken a measured tone toward Moscow, with Trump saying after a recent phone call that Putin wanted to be “helpful” in addressing the Middle East crisis.

The issue comes amid intensifying fighting between US-led forces and Iran, which has triggered wider geopolitical tensions and raised fears of greater involvement by global powers in the conflict.

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