Trump decision 'within two weeks' on Israel/Iran war

US President Donald Trump says he will decide 'within two weeks' whether the US military will get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, leaving a space open for the two sides to de-escalate.
Trump has been weighing up whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but US "bunker-buster" bombs.
His statement was read out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Earlier in the day, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Iranian missiles crashed into a major hospital in southern Israel and hit residential buildings near Tel Aviv, wounding at least 240 people.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
As rescuers wheeled patients out of the smouldering hospital, Israeli warplanes launched their latest attack on Iran's nuclear program.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America." Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
A new diplomatic initiative appeared to be underway as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepared to travel to Geneva for a Friday meeting with counterparts from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union's top diplomat.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.
"A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," Britain's David Lammy said in a social media post after Thursday's meeting.
The open conflict between Israel and Iran erupted last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Israel's Home Front Command asserted that one of the Iranian ballistic missiles fired on Thursday had been rigged with fragmenting cluster munitions. A cluster warhead carries dozens of submunitions that can explode on impact, showering small bomblets around a large area.
At least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in the strike on Soroka Medical Centre, though much of the hospital building had been evacuated in recent days. Vulnerable patients had been transferred underground.
Iranian officials insisted they had not sought to strike the hospital and claimed the attack hit a facility belonging to the Israeli military's elite technological unit, called C4i.
Israeli airstrikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown. But with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear just how many people could see the message.
Iran's supreme leader has rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any US military involvement would cause "irreparable damage to them."
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that due to restrictions imposed by Iran on inspectors, the UN nuclear watchdog has lost "continuity of knowledge" about Iran's heavy water production — meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran's production and stockpile.
US President Donald Trump says he will decide 'within two weeks' whether the US military will get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, leaving a space open for the two sides to de-escalate.
Trump has been weighing up whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but US "bunker-buster" bombs.
His statement was read out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Earlier in the day, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Iranian missiles crashed into a major hospital in southern Israel and hit residential buildings near Tel Aviv, wounding at least 240 people.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
As rescuers wheeled patients out of the smouldering hospital, Israeli warplanes launched their latest attack on Iran's nuclear program.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America." Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
A new diplomatic initiative appeared to be underway as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepared to travel to Geneva for a Friday meeting with counterparts from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union's top diplomat.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.
"A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," Britain's David Lammy said in a social media post after Thursday's meeting.
The open conflict between Israel and Iran erupted last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Israel's Home Front Command asserted that one of the Iranian ballistic missiles fired on Thursday had been rigged with fragmenting cluster munitions. A cluster warhead carries dozens of submunitions that can explode on impact, showering small bomblets around a large area.
At least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in the strike on Soroka Medical Centre, though much of the hospital building had been evacuated in recent days. Vulnerable patients had been transferred underground.
Iranian officials insisted they had not sought to strike the hospital and claimed the attack hit a facility belonging to the Israeli military's elite technological unit, called C4i.
Israeli airstrikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown. But with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear just how many people could see the message.
Iran's supreme leader has rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any US military involvement would cause "irreparable damage to them."
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that due to restrictions imposed by Iran on inspectors, the UN nuclear watchdog has lost "continuity of knowledge" about Iran's heavy water production — meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran's production and stockpile.
US President Donald Trump says he will decide 'within two weeks' whether the US military will get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, leaving a space open for the two sides to de-escalate.
Trump has been weighing up whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but US "bunker-buster" bombs.
His statement was read out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Earlier in the day, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Iranian missiles crashed into a major hospital in southern Israel and hit residential buildings near Tel Aviv, wounding at least 240 people.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
As rescuers wheeled patients out of the smouldering hospital, Israeli warplanes launched their latest attack on Iran's nuclear program.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America." Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
A new diplomatic initiative appeared to be underway as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepared to travel to Geneva for a Friday meeting with counterparts from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union's top diplomat.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.
"A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," Britain's David Lammy said in a social media post after Thursday's meeting.
The open conflict between Israel and Iran erupted last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Israel's Home Front Command asserted that one of the Iranian ballistic missiles fired on Thursday had been rigged with fragmenting cluster munitions. A cluster warhead carries dozens of submunitions that can explode on impact, showering small bomblets around a large area.
At least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in the strike on Soroka Medical Centre, though much of the hospital building had been evacuated in recent days. Vulnerable patients had been transferred underground.
Iranian officials insisted they had not sought to strike the hospital and claimed the attack hit a facility belonging to the Israeli military's elite technological unit, called C4i.
Israeli airstrikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown. But with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear just how many people could see the message.
Iran's supreme leader has rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any US military involvement would cause "irreparable damage to them."
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that due to restrictions imposed by Iran on inspectors, the UN nuclear watchdog has lost "continuity of knowledge" about Iran's heavy water production — meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran's production and stockpile.
US President Donald Trump says he will decide 'within two weeks' whether the US military will get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, leaving a space open for the two sides to de-escalate.
Trump has been weighing up whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but US "bunker-buster" bombs.
His statement was read out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Earlier in the day, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Iranian missiles crashed into a major hospital in southern Israel and hit residential buildings near Tel Aviv, wounding at least 240 people.
Israel's military "has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist," Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
As rescuers wheeled patients out of the smouldering hospital, Israeli warplanes launched their latest attack on Iran's nuclear program.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would "do what's best for America." Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, he added: "I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."
A new diplomatic initiative appeared to be underway as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepared to travel to Geneva for a Friday meeting with counterparts from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union's top diplomat.
Britain's foreign secretary said he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.
"A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution," Britain's David Lammy said in a social media post after Thursday's meeting.
The open conflict between Israel and Iran erupted last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.
Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Israel's Home Front Command asserted that one of the Iranian ballistic missiles fired on Thursday had been rigged with fragmenting cluster munitions. A cluster warhead carries dozens of submunitions that can explode on impact, showering small bomblets around a large area.
At least 80 patients and medical workers were wounded in the strike on Soroka Medical Centre, though much of the hospital building had been evacuated in recent days. Vulnerable patients had been transferred underground.
Iranian officials insisted they had not sought to strike the hospital and claimed the attack hit a facility belonging to the Israeli military's elite technological unit, called C4i.
Israeli airstrikes reached into the city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea early Friday, Iranian media reported. The Israeli military had warned the public to flee the area around Rasht's Industrial City, southwest of the city's downtown. But with Iran's internet shut off to the outside world, it's unclear just how many people could see the message.
Iran's supreme leader has rejected US calls for surrender and warned that any US military involvement would cause "irreparable damage to them."
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that due to restrictions imposed by Iran on inspectors, the UN nuclear watchdog has lost "continuity of knowledge" about Iran's heavy water production — meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran's production and stockpile.

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"And politicians like to keep things ambiguous for as long as possible; it gives them maximum mobility." Widmaier said the two-week time frame will provide Trump with an extension to weigh up tensions in his supporter base, political strategy and pressure, and the US relationship with Israel. Michael Green, professor and CEO of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, said Trump is likely deciding whether or not to use a 13,000kg Massive Ordnance Penetrator 'bunker buster' bomb on an Iranian underground nuclear facility. Only the US military has the bunker buster bomb. "I believe that the decision he has to make is whether or not the US drops that bunker-busting bomb on Fordo, the remaining intact part of Iran's nuclear weapons programs," he said. "The reason he might do it is because the Israelis believe that the Iranians are weeks away from creating nuclear weapons capability. The reason to not do it is because there's no guarantee of success." Trump has not outlined exactly what US involvement in Iran could look like, but he has floated several possible scenarios. Comments and social media posts about his plans have veered from proposing a swift diplomatic solution to suggesting the US might join the fighting on Israel's side. On Wednesday, he said nobody knew what he would do. A day earlier, he mused on social media about killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, then demanded Iran's unconditional surrender. Iran has warned of "all-out war" if the US joins the military action. Green said while the Iranian regime is vulnerable, it could still "lash out" and cause threats to US forces and allied interests. He said Trump may be hoping the threat of the bunker buster bomb could influence Iranians to agree to peacefully give up their nuclear capability. "I am sceptical that Iran will, even under this huge amount of pressure, give up their nuclear program, [but] they might agree to meet, they might agree to talk about it, to dissipate the pressure," he said. "The most likely scenario is they put something out there to save themselves and it will be debated whether it's enough, and Donald Trump may or may not take it." Widmaier said he believes the US bombing Iran would be a "disaster". "My sense is this would all be leading to a disaster. It would just be a disaster for the region, it would be a disaster for American foreign policy," he said. If the Trump administration decides to pursue US action in Iran, Widmaier said it would need to have clear aims and a clear exit strategy. He said the US government would also want to be sure of public support if it were to take action. "These are lessons of the Vietnam war, these are lessons of the Iraq war, and I see no sense that they really know what they want," Widmaier said. Wars are easy to start, but hard to end. Wesley Windmaier "I say with a high level of confidence that it would be an unmitigated disaster, and it's something absolutely to be avoided. "I don't think you need a PhD to see that, given the disastrous military interventions that are a history of US foreign policy." While Trump has publicly criticised Iran and sided with Israel, US action against Iran is not guaranteed. In the next two weeks, Trump will weigh up different factors and scenarios, including opposition from some of his Republican colleagues, some of whom have said the US should avoid war. Kentucky senator Rand Paul said he hoped Trump would not give in to pressure to get involved. "It's not the US' job to be involved in this war," Paul said on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. Republican representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky said on X: "This is not our war. We should not engage our military here." Widmaier said it's possible the president could opt out of the US becoming directly involved in another Middle East conflict. He pointed out Trump does have a record of holding off in the context of Iran. "In his first term, he came right up to the brink of ordering some strikes against Iranian sites, and he backed off at the last possible minute," Widmaier said. "So he does seem to have some inhibitions against, it may be that at the last minute he pulls back ... he does have a pragmatic streak too." — Additional reporting by Reuters and the Australian Associated Press