MSNBC’s Mohyeldin: U.S. Wouldn’t Have Struck Iran ‘If Israel Had Not Started This Unprovoked War’

During MSNBC’s coverage of the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday, host Ayman Mohyeldin said that “the United States would not have been doing this tonight if Israel had not started this unprovoked war nine days ago.”

While speaking with Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Mohyeldin said, “[W]hat do you think is Israel’s responsibility in getting the U.S. into this moment? The president, certainly, by some assessment — and, again, you used very strong language against the president of the United States — what responsibility does Israel have for starting this war nine days ago, knowing, ultimately, that America was always going to come to Israel’s defense at some point and perhaps even get involved in this war on behalf of Israel? It’s safe to say the United States would not have been doing this tonight if Israel had not started this unprovoked war nine days ago.”

Smith responded by pointing out that Iran has long held Israel doesn’t have the right to exist and has supported numerous terrorist groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, “that have directly attacked Israel” and all of that counts as a provocation, “So, that Israel had a reason to attack Iran, I will not question. The U.S. doesn’t.”

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