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President Donald Trump is expected to decide on potential military strikes against Iran within two weeks, the White House said Wednesday, amid ongoing regional tensions.
European foreign ministers plan to meet Iranian officials in Geneva on Friday, seeking de-escalation and offering a rollback of Iran’s nuclear activities.
The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its seventh day, with Iranian missiles hitting an Israeli hospital. In response, Israel said it struck 100 targets inside Iran, including the heavy-water reactor in Arak and a nuclear site in Natanz.
Trump approved attack plans last week but is waiting to see if Iran will abandon its nuclear program. Asked if he had made a final decision, Trump said, “I may do it, I may not do it,” adding that “the next week is going to be very big, maybe less than a week.”
The U.S. has increased military presence in the region, sending a third Navy destroyer to the eastern Mediterranean and a second carrier strike group to the Arabian Sea. Pentagon officials describe the buildup as defensive but acknowledge it positions the U.S. for possible action.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any U.S. military intervention would have irreparable consequences and reaffirmed Iran would not surrender.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Iran’s hospital strike as “terrorist tyranny” and vowed Israel is progressing toward eliminating Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
The U.N. atomic agency confirmed no radioactive release from the Israeli strike on Iran’s Khondab reactor. Human rights groups report more than 639 deaths in Iran and 24 in Israel due to the strikes.
With information from Wall Street Journal.
