Iran Israel latest: When will Donald Trump decide whether to strike Islamic Republic in middle-east? White House reveals timeline
It remained unclear whether US President Donald Trump would task American forces to join Israel's sweeping campaign against Iran's military and nuclear program.
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President Donald Trump will decide within the next two weeks whether to strike Iran, the White House said on Thursday, saying Trump still sees a 'substantial' chance that negotiations can achieve the US and Israeli demands on Iran's nuclear program. Trump's announcement, relayed by press secretary Karoline Leavitt, puts an extended timeline on the president's warnings to Iran to immediately shut down its enrichment operations and any other potential for producing nuclear weapons, as per AP report.'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future. I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,' Leavitt quoted Trump as saying, AP reported.While it remained unclear whether US President Donald Trump would task American forces to join Israel's sweeping campaign against Iran's military and nuclear program, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would 'do what's best for America.'US officials said earlier this week that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him, 'at least not for now.'The US has been weighing whether to join Israel's attack by striking Iran's well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs.Trump has said he wants something 'much bigger' than a ceasefire and has not ruled out the U.S. joining in Israel's campaign.The conflict began last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, senior officers and nuclear scientists. At least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.Iran has retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding 240 people.Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, in addition to having a nuclear power plant, it also enriches uranium up to 60 per cent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich at that level, AP reported.Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons — making it the only such state in the Middle East — but does not acknowledge having such arms, as per the AP report.A1. Iran has uranium enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran, and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Fordow is the deepest nuclear facility. (90 meter). Arak heavy water reactor, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran, was reportedly used to produce plutonium.A2. Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons — making it the only such state in the Middle East — but does not acknowledge having such arms, as per the AP report.
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