Trump’s conspiratorial 2011 Iran warning resurfaces as war reports swirl

One of President Donald Trump’s old warnings about Iran resurfaced on Wednesday as reports indicate that he is pondering war with the country.

In 2011, Trump claimed that then-President Barack Obama would strike Iran to ensure he was elected for a second term. The post at the time was quite controversial, as the former president was facing a stiff re-election campaign while the country was still recovering from the Great Recession.

That post was retweeted on Wednesday, at a time when Axios reported that Trump had deployed more than 150 cargo flights to move weapons and ammunition into the region. The U.S. military has also sent 50 fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s, to the area.

Last year, the Trump administration conducted a secret strike against three of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump claimed afterwards that the facilities were “totally destroyed,” although some analysts disagreed with that claim.

People in Trump’s orbit, like conservative talk show host Mark Levin, have been pushing the president to strike Iran again.

The president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff held negotiations with Iranian representatives on Tuesday, Axios reported. U.S. officials told the outlet that they are unconvinced that the two countries can close the “gaps” that exist between them.