Trump calls Iran's strikes on Middle Eastern countries big surprise

US President Donald Trump has called Iran's strikes on various targets in the Middle East, which followed the start of the joint US-Israeli military operation, a big surprise, Report informs via CNN.

So far, the president said, "the biggest surprise" has been Iran"s attacks against Arab countries in the region: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

"We were surprised," Trump said. "We told them, ‘We"ve got this," and now they want to fight. And they"re aggressively fighting. They were going to be very little involved and now they insist on being involved."

Of the Arab leaders, the president told CNN, "I know these people. They"re tough and smart."

The Iranians, he said, "shot into a hotel, they shot into an apartment house. It just made them angry. They love us, but they were watching. There was no reason for them to be involved."

Of Iran"s attacks on them, he said "that was probably the biggest surprise."

Trump pointed to the Iranian nuclear threat as having been a major issue in the region for some time.

"You have to understand, they were living under that dark cloud for years. That"s why you could never have peace," he said.