Kelly asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been lobbying for an attack and that he 'flattered' Trump into going forward. She also argued that Trump 'didn’t run' on invading Iran. The report says Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.
The president pushed back the next day, telling Kelly she should 'study her history book' and stating his priority was preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons — a rationale he said justified the strikes. Kelly had earlier questioned whether U.S. service members died for American interests in the action.