Donald Trump said at a rally in San Antonio that the United States would not allow a missile strike on Los Angeles or San Diego. Earlier remarks suggesting Iran could attack the cities drew criticism.
“We will protect our cities. We will protect our country. We won't let this happen,” the U.S. president told voters in Texas. He was responding to criticism over recent comments about a possible attack on the two major California cities.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung explained Trump's earlier remarks by saying the president was describing a hypothetical threat that, in his account, could have been avoided if the United States had not launched the conflict with Iran.
The United States and Israel began strikes on Iranian targets on Feb. 28, and Tehran responded with strikes of its own. The two sides signed a memorandum to end hostilities in mid-June, but later exchanged strikes again. The conflict remains unresolved.