Latest news with #NationalSecurityCouncil
NHK
12 hours ago
- Politics
- NHK
Trump to decide whether to take military action on Iran within 2 weeks
The White House has quoted US President Donald Trump as saying he will decide within two weeks whether to take military action on Iran, while leaving the door open to negotiations. Trump has hinted at the possibility of US military intervention in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, saying, "I may do it, I may not do it." At a news conference on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the considerable speculation about the issue. She read out a message from Trump. It said, "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." In response to a reporter's question, Leavitt confirmed that correspondence between the Trump administration and the Iranian government is ongoing. She added, "If there's a chance for diplomacy, the president is always going to grab it, but he's not afraid to use strength as well." She declined to give details, including how the two sides are communicating. The White House says Trump plans to hold daily National Security Council meetings through the weekend as he weighs future responses to the Iranian situation.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump to make a decision on Iran within two weeks
President Donald Trump has set a two-week deadline to decide if the United States will strike Iran. "Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place in the near future, I will make my decision of whether or not to go within the next two weeks," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday, reading a statement from the president to reporters. Leavitt said Trump would prefer a diplomatic solution, but the president — in consultation with the National Security Council — is weighing U.S. military intervention to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to a recent POLITICO report. The U.S. is the only country with the military capacity to destroy Iran's nuclear program. 'Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon,' Leavitt said. 'All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon, which would of course pose an existential threat not just to Israel, but to the United States and to the entire world.' The comments came at the end of a week of heightened tension in the decades-long conflict between Israel and Iran. As Iran and Israel lobbed rockets at each other, Trump left the Group of Seven conference early and has convened multiple meetings in the Situation Room. The conflict has divided Trump's coalition, driving a rift between an isolationist faction and hawks who have long sought to hobble Iran. Leavitt said Trump has long maintained his position that the U.S. should interfere to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and quoted his comments on the subject from more than a decade ago. 'The president has made it clear he always wants to pursue diplomacy, but believe me, the president is unafraid to use strength as necessary,' Leavitt said. 'And Iran and the entire world should know that the United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, and we have capabilities that no other country on this planet possesses.' Leavitt declined to answer whether the president wanted regime change in Iran, which has been a goal of hawks like Sen. Lindsey Graham and a red line for MAGA isolationists.
Time Magazine
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Trump to Decide ‘Within Two Weeks' Whether to Take Action on Iran
President Donald Trump will make a decision within two weeks on whether to strike on Iran, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a press briefing on Thursday. Reading a statement from Trump, Leavitt said, '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.' [time-brightcove not-tgx='true'] The President's deadline comes amid escalating strikes between Iran and Israel—and as the U.S. considers direct military action against Iran. On Wednesday, when asked if the U.S. was moving closer to striking Iranian nuclear facilities, Trump told reporters, 'I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I'm going to do… I can tell you this. Iran's got a lot of trouble.' 'The United States government maintains this fact that Iran has never been closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon,' Leavitt went on to say. She noted that the President continues to be briefed by his National Security Council and remains in 'constant communication' with the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The attacks between the two countries began last Friday, when Israel launched what it called 'preemptive air strikes' targeting more than a dozen sites in Iran. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says that since Israel's initial missile attack on Iran, 639 people have been killed there and a further 1,329 injured—the organization says that 263 of those killed were civilians and 154 military personnel. In Israel, 24 people have been killed so far by Iranian strikes, with 838 injured. On Thursday, an Iranian missile strike damaged a hospital in southern Israel, as part of a barrage of strikes Israel said injured 271 people. Trump's base is divided as he weighs his options, especially given that he campaigned on a pledge of no new wars. The two-week timeline opens the door for negotiations, but does not negate the possibility of U.S. involvement. 'The president has made it clear he always wants to pursue diplomacy,' Leavitt said. 'But believe me the president is unafraid to use strength if necessary.'
Politico
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
Trump to make a decision on Iran within two weeks
President Donald Trump has set a two week deadline to decide if the United States will strike Iran. 'Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place in the near future, I will make my decision of whether or not to go within the next two weeks,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday, reading a statement from the president to reporters. Leavitt said Trump would prefer a diplomatic solution, but the president — in consultation with the National Security Council — is weighing U.S. military intervention to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to a recent POLITICO report. The U.S. is the only country with the military capacity to destroy Iran's nuclear program. 'Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon,' Leavitt said. 'All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon, which would of course pose an existential threat not just to Israel, but to the United States and to the entire world.' The comments came at the end of a week of heightened tension in the decades-long conflict between Israel and Iran. As Iran and Israel lobbed rockets at each other, Trump left the Group of Seven conference early and has convened multiple meetings in the Situation Room. The conflict has divided Trump's coalition, driving a rift between an isolationist faction and hawks who have long sought to hobble Iran. Leavitt said Trump has long maintained his position that the U.S. should interfere to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and quoted his comments on the subject from more than a decade ago. 'The president has made it clear he always wants to pursue diplomacy, but believe me, the president is unafraid to use strength as necessary,' Leavitt said. 'And Iran and the entire world should know that the United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, and we have capabilities that no other country on this planet possesses.' Leavitt declined to answer whether the president wanted regime change in Iran, which has been a goal of hawks like Sen. Lindsey Graham and a red line for MAGA isolationists.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. military has helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel
WASHINGTON —The U.S. military has helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel, American officials told USA TODAY on June 13. It wasn't immediately clear which U.S. military assets were used. Israel said fewer than 100 rockets had been fired. Iran launched three waves of retaliatory missile strikes less than a day after Israel bombed the country's nuclear facilities and killed top generals and nuclear scientists during an overnight attack. The United States indicated that it was aware of Israel's plans to strike Iran — but said it was not involved in the military operation that threatened to destabilize the region and derail the administration's diplomatic efforts. President Donald Trump's administration had been negotiating a deal with Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment program. Prior to the strike a sixth round of talks were set to take place in Oman. Trump continued to push for an agreement with Iran on June 13 in a round of calls with journalists and statements on his social media platform. "There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left." Trump was in and out of closed-door meetings much of the day and met privately with his National Security Council. He also spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a U.S. official said. Netanyahu thanked Trump for his leadership in an overnight address. But hours before the assault, Trump publicly pushed Netanyahu not to strike. "As long as I think there is an agreement, I don't want them going in, because I think that would blow it. Might help it, actually. But it also could blow it," Trump told reporters during a White House event. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the acting White House national security adviser, said in a June 12 statement that Israel acted unilaterally. Live updates: Iran launches missile counterattack on Israel after punishing airstrikes "President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel," Rubio said. Hundreds of thousands of Americans live in Israel and roughly 40,000 U.S. servicemembers were stationed in the Middle East as of last April. Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: U.S. military helps shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel
