Trump says he told 'very respectful' Iran 'go ahead, I understand' about counterattack

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he dared Iran to “go ahead” with a counterattack in response to last month’s United States airstrikes that destroyed three Iranian nuclear sites.

“They called me to tell me they have to take a shot at us. This was Iran, very respectful,” Trump told a crowd at a large rally in Des Moines, Iowa. “That means they respect us. Because we dropped 14 bombs, they said, ‘We would like to take 14 shots.’ I said, ‘Go ahead, I understand.'”