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WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Just hours before Israel launched strikes on Iran early Friday, President Donald Trump was still holding onto tattered threads of hope that a long-simmering dispute over Tehran鈥檚 nuclear program could be resolved without military action.

But with the Israeli military operation called 鈥淩ising Lion鈥� now underway 鈥� something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says will go on for 鈥渁s many days as it takes鈥� 鈥� Trump will be tested anew on his ability to make good on a campaign promise to disentangle the U.S. from foreign conflicts.

鈥淚 gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal,鈥� Trump said in a Friday morning social media post. 鈥淚 told them, in the strongest of words, to 鈥榡ust do it,鈥� but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn鈥檛 get it done.”

The administration’s first reaction to the Israeli assault came not from Trump, but from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is doubling as Trump’s national security adviser. He sought to make clear that the U.S. was 鈥渘ot involved鈥� and that the Republican administration’s central concern was protecting U.S. forces in the region.

鈥淚srael advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,鈥� Rubio said in a statement. “President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.鈥�

As Israel stepped up planning for strikes in recent weeks, however, Iran, had signaled that the United States would be held responsible in the event of an Israeli attack. The warning was issued by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi even as he engaged in talks with Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.

On Thursday, just hours before the strikes, Trump made the case that there was still time for diplomacy 鈥� but it was running out. The White House had even planned to dispatch Witkoff to Oman on Sunday for the next round of talks with Araghchi. It wasn鈥檛 immediately clear how the strikes would affect plans for those discussions.

But Trump on Friday urged Iran to make a nuclear deal 鈥渂efore there is nothing left and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.”

鈥淣o more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,鈥� Trump added.

Trump is set to meet with his National Security Council in the Situation Room on Friday to discuss the tricky path ahead.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., offered rare words of Democratic praise for the Trump administration after the attack 鈥渇or prioritizing diplomacy鈥� and 鈥渞efraining from participating” in the military strikes. But he also expressed deep concern about what the Israeli strikes could mean for U.S. personnel in the region.

Iranian officials made clear that they intended to retaliate with decisive action after the Israeli strikes targeted Iran鈥檚 main enrichment facility in Natanz and the country鈥檚 ballistic missile program, as well as top nuclear scientists and officials.

鈥淚 cannot understand why Israel would launch a preemptive strike at this juncture, knowing high level diplomatic discussions between the United States and Iran are scheduled for this weekend,鈥� Kaine said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the U.S. Senate 鈥渟tands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas.鈥�

Trump in the hours before the attack still appeared hopeful that there would be more time for diplomacy.

The president, in an exchange with reporters, again urged Iran to negotiate a deal. He warned that a 鈥渕assive conflict鈥� could occur in the Middle East without it.

He later took to social media to emphasize that his 鈥渆ntire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran.鈥�

As long as there was a chance for an agreement, Trump said of Israel, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want them going in because I think it would blow it.鈥�

But it was clear to the administration that Israel was edging toward taking military action against Iran. The State Department on Wednesday directed a voluntary evacuation of nonessential personnel and their families from some U.S. diplomatic outposts in the Middle East.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be the one that didn鈥檛 give any warning, and missiles are flying into their buildings. It鈥檚 possible. So I had to do it,鈥� Trump explained.

Before Israel launched the strikes, some of Trump’s strongest supporters were raising concerns about what another expansive conflict in the Mideast could mean for the Republican president who ran on a promise to quickly end the brutal wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

Trump has struggled to find an endgame to either of those conflicts and to make good on two of his biggest foreign policy campaign promises.

And after criticizing President Joe Biden during last year鈥檚 campaign for preventing Israel from carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Trump found himself making the case to the Israelis to give diplomacy a chance.

The push by the Trump administration to persuade Tehran to give up its nuclear program came after the U.S. and other world powers in 2015 reached a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran鈥檚 enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

But Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the 鈥渨orst deal ever.鈥�

The way forward is even more clouded now.

鈥淣o issue currently divides the right as much as foreign policy,鈥� Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and an ally of the Trump White House, posted on X Thursday. 鈥淚鈥檓 very concerned based on (everything) I鈥檝e seen in the grassroots the last few months that this will cause a massive schism in MAGA and potentially disrupt our momentum and our insanely successful Presidency.鈥�

Jack Posobiec, another prominent Trump supporter, warned a 鈥渄irect strike on Iran right now would disastrously split the Trump coalition.鈥�

鈥淭rump smartly ran against starting new wars, this is what the swing states voted for 鈥� the midterms are not far and Congress鈥� majority is already razor-thin,鈥� Posobiec added in a posting on X.

Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East program at Defense Priorities, said the job ahead for Trump and his team is to protect U.S. forces who are highly vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

鈥淚srael鈥檚 strike on Iran must not become the United States鈥� war,” Kelanic said. 鈥淭he U.S. public overwhelmingly opposes another military engagement in the Middle East for good reason 鈥� an open-ended military campaign in Iran would risk repeating the catastrophic mistakes of the 2003 war in Iraq, which inadvertently strengthened Tehran鈥檚 influence there.鈥�

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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed reporting.