Iran-Israel conflict: Donald Trump mulls US military strike on Iranian nuclear sites, open to diplomacy only if Tehran…
US President Donald Trump is considering military action against Iranian nuclear sites amid rising tensions with Israel.
US President Donald Trump is increasingly leaning toward using US military force to target Iranian nuclear sites, amid Tehran’s escalating conflict with Israel, according to a report by CNN citing two officials familiar with the talks.
While Trump’s stance has become more hawkish, sources say he still remains open to a diplomatic resolution—but only if Iran agrees to major concessions, CNN reported.
Trump made a series of statements about the conflict, including warning Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the U.S. knows where he is hiding but that there were no plans to kill him “at least not for now.”
Israel has justified its widespread military offensive against Iran by claiming it is essential to stop Tehran from advancing toward a nuclear weapon. The airstrikes have so far claimed the lives of at least 224 people in Iran, including civilians and key military figures.
Trump left the Group of Seven summit in Canada a day early to deal with the conflict between Israel and Iran, adding, “I’m not looking at a ceasefire. We’re looking at better than a ceasefire.”
However, Trump also indicated that diplomatic talks remained an option, and said he could send Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with the Iranians.
Meanwhile, the US is repositioning aircraft and naval assets across the Middle East to shield Israel from Iranian strikes and brace for possible attacks on American military bases.
Iran offered no immediate response to the president's posts, but the country’s military leaders vowed that Israel would soon see more attacks, AP reported.
“The operations carried out so far have been solely for the purpose of warning and deterrence,” Gen. Abdul Rahim Mousavi, the commander in chief of Iran’s army, said in a video. “The punishment operation will be carried out soon.”
Donald Trump warned that “everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran,” mirroring an earlier Israeli military alert urging 330,000 residents of a central district in the Iranian capital to leave amid escalating hostilities.
Tehran is one of the largest cities in the Middle East, with around 10 million people, roughly equivalent to Israel's entire population. People have been fleeing since hostilities began.
Asked why he had urged the evacuation, Trump said: “I just want people to be safe.”
Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and assessments by the U.S. and other nations suggest Tehran has not actively pursued a nuclear weapon in an organized manner since 2003.
However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly cautioned that Iran now possesses enough enriched uranium to produce multiple nuclear bombs if it decides to proceed.
(With inputs from agencies)