Donald Trump went to war with Iran because he 'had a feeling'

The White House press secretary has shed light on the reason Donald Trump fired 'massive' missiles at Iran on Saturday (28 Feb), which kick-started what many fear will progress into a full-fledged Third World War.

Apparently, he had a 'feeling'.

Karoline Leavitt's comments were made during an Oval Office press conference on Wednesday (4 Mar), four days after Trump, joined with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, dropped several drones across Tehran, Iran's capital.

The assault wiped out a number of the country's senior officials, including the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump later claimed the attack on Iran came in response to its government's increasingly totalitarian regime against its own people.

Trump previously claimed the missile launch had been sparked by an aim to protect the Iranian people from its own government (Mahsa / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

This sparked protests across the country earlier this year, which saw demonstrators subjected to severe punishments by Islamic Republic leaders.

In a Truth Social statement shared the following day, the American president told Iranian citizens: "When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations."

Trump, 79, also admitted that the US-Israeli assault was partially aimed at ensuring 'that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon'.

According to the Republican's press secretary, however, there was a third reason that Trump pressed his big red button over the weekend, prompting Iran to launch retaliatory missiles at Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

Leavitt told the press the right-wing leader 'had a feeling' Iran would act first.

Leavitt claimed Trump had a 'feeling' Iran would act first (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

"The President had a feeling again, based on fact, that Iran was going to strike the United States," she claimed. "[Iran] was going to strike our assets in the region, and he made a determination to launch operation Epic Fury based on all of those reasons.

Unsurprisingly, Leavitt's explanation has sparked mass outrage online, with hundreds of Americans concerned by the candidness of the claim.

"Can you imagine the Republican reaction if a woman president said she went to war because she had a 'feeling'?" one X user questioned.

Another noted: "We go to wars on feels now, not facts. Got it."

"So, we're starting wars based on hunches now?" a third sought clarification.

A fourth demanded: "You killing people because you had hunch?"

Iran has since responded by firing further missiles across the Middle East (ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)

"I prefer we base our strategic decisions on facts, not 'feelings'," another insisted.

Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, previously wrote in a statement on X, however, that Iran had 'not started the invasion', insisting that any military responses his country now gives will be done in self-defence.

His comments came after Trump told The Atlantic that the new leaders of Iran 'want to talk' about the country's nuclear programme, as well as future relations between America and the Middle East.

"They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them," he told the press from his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, residence, claiming politicians he'd previously been in conversation with were now deceased.

Ali Larijani claimed Iran 'will not negotiate' with Trump (ALI AL-SAADI/AFP via Getty Images)

"They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long."

Contradicting Trump's claim, Larijani clapped back: "We will not negotiate with the US."