In fact, experts had warned for years that Iran might strike neighboring countries hosting U.S. military bases if conflict escalated. Iran itself had explicitly stated that such countries could become legitimate targets as part of its deterrence strategy.

Trump’s remarks are another case where the United States appeared unprepared for very predictable Iranian responses, despite prior warnings from analysts and public statements from Tehran.

There is at least one country, however, that did not see this response as unexpected and, in fact, was expecting and hoping for it. This country is supposedly America’s staunch ally. The name of that country is Israel.