Trump's decision came after Israel and Iran have exchanged consistent strikes since June 13. Israel had urged the U.S. to target Iran's nuclear facilities, saying that Tehran was moving close to creating a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for civilian, not military, purposes.

Trump's nuclear saber-rattling could suggest he feels emboldened after ordering the bomb attacks against Iranian nuclear sites.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday criticized Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev for suggesting that third countries could supply nuclear weapons to Iran. Medvedev, who served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012,