Donald Trump affirmed this Monday that Israel's very existence depended on the joint intervention of Washington and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defending the military offensive launched against Iran and maintaining that the operation frustrated the supposed advance of the Iranian nuclear program.

Trump claimed that Tehran was just weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon before the recent US bombings.

“I believe that Israel would not exist today if it were not for me and Netanyahu,” declared the president. “Iran was two or four weeks away from obtaining a nuclear weapon and we had to act,” he added, justifying the military campaign ordered by his administration.

In recent days, US forces have intensified attacks against Iranian military, naval and nuclear facilities, while Tehran has responded by launching missiles and drones against US bases and Washington's allied countries in the Middle East.

The White House has maintained that the campaign seeks to degrade the Iranian military infrastructure, limit the offensive capacity of the Revolutionary Guard and guarantee the security of international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the oil traded by sea in the world transits.

Trump announced that Iran would be hit “very hard tonight and tomorrow.” Shortly after, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the start of a third consecutive day of operations against Iranian targets, including military installations, logistics centers and naval bases.

Since the beginning of the current crisis, Israel has fully supported the US strategy. Prime Minister Netanyahu has defended the military campaign, saying that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a priority for the security of Israel and its Western allies. Hours earlier, the Israeli president himself assured that Trump is willing to exhaust diplomatic channels, but "has no qualms about resorting to force" if he considers that Tehran is failing to comply with its commitments.