Washington: As Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire, the White House said that President Donald Trump will decide whether the US gets directly involved in the conflict within the next two weeks. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the US president believes there is a "substantial chance of negotiations" with Iran "in the near future"
Asked if he had decided whether to strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities, Trump said, “I may do it, I may not do it.” And he repeated his insistence on Iran’s unconditional surrender: “The next week is going to be very big, maybe less than a week.”
Trump has already been briefed on both the risks and the benefits of bombing Iran's Fordow nuclear facility, multiple sources told CBS News. As of June 19, Trump was still reviewing his options and had not made a firm decision.
According to reports, the US has built up military forces in the region in recent days. A third US Navy destroyer entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and a second US carrier strike group is heading toward the Arabian Sea.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his country wouldn’t surrender and warned any US military intervention would bring irreparable damage. Meanwhile, Israel's defense minister said Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist" after the Soroka hospital was hit.
