Former Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl calls for ‘free Iran,’ backs Trump amid US-Israel strikes

Former Auburn men’s hoops manager Bruce Pearl called Iran the "head of the snake" and backed President Donald Trump hours aft the United States and Israel launched a associated onslaught connected the country. 

Pearl, 1 of a fistful of Jewish coaches successful assemblage hoops earlier his status successful September, took to societal media soon aft the U.S. joined Israel successful launching preemptive strikes against Iran connected Saturday morning. 

Auburn Tigers caput manager Bruce Pearl during the archetypal fractional successful the South Regional last of the 2025 NCAA tourney against the Michigan State Spartans astatine State Farm Arena successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected March 30, 2025. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images) (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)

"President Trump gave Iran a accidental to debar War by simply agreeing to No Nukes. Iran launched middles astatine different Arab countries and Israel, immense mistake! Saudi Arabia joins our side," Pearl wrote successful station connected X. 

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"Iran is caput of the snake. President Trump is the person of the escaped world. Defeat Evil past Peace!"

 In an earlier station connected X, Pearl made a plea for a "free Iran" and "real peace" successful the Middle East. 

"Lord Hear Our Prayer Please enactment your hedge of extortion implicit our heroic equipped work arsenic they people Iran subject and rocket sites with Operation Epic Fury. Pray for the guiltless Pray for the force to beryllium destroyed, a escaped Iran and past for existent Peace successful the Middle East." 

Auburn Tigers caput manager Bruce Pearl signals to players against the Florida Gators during the archetypal fractional successful the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament astatine the Alamodome.  (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

In video remarks posted to Truth Social, Trump encouraged the Iranian radical to instrumentality implicit their authorities erstwhile the United States and Israel finished "major combat operations" successful Iran.

"The hr of your state is astatine hand. Stay sheltered. Don't permission your home. It's precise unsafe outside," helium said addressing the Iranian people. "This volition be, probably, your lone accidental for generations. For galore years, you person asked for America's help, but you ne'er got it. No President was consenting to bash what I americium consenting to bash tonight. Now you person a President who is giving you what you want."

Iran launched retaliatory rocket strikes targeting U.S. facilities successful aggregate countries. Fox News' Jennifer Griffin reported that astir 40 missiles had landed successful Israel. Additionally, Iran appeared to deed the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, but nary casualties were reported. Iran besides launched missiles astatine Saudi Arabia and Jordan, wherever the U.S. has squadrons of precocious combatant jets, Griffin added.

Smoke rises aft reported Iranian rocket attacks, pursuing strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, successful Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026. (Reuters)

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Pearl, an outspoken protagonist of Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks, was named president of the committee of directors for the U.S. Israel Education Association (USIEA) successful April. At the clip of the announcement, Pearl said helium was "proud to proceed advocating for greater knowing and collaboration" betwixt the U.S. and Israel.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. 

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