Washington: President Donald Trump will decide in the next two weeks if the United States will get involved in the Israel-Iran Air War, the White House said Thursday, which increases the pressure on Tehran to reach the negotiating table.
Citing a Trump message, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters: “According to the fact that there is a substantial possibility of negotiations that may take place or not with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”
The Republican President has maintained the world by guessing his plans, diverting from proposing a rapid diplomatic solution to suggest that the United States could join the fighting on the side of Israel. On Wednesday, he said no one knew what he would do. A day before, he reflected on social networks about killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, then demanded the unconditional surrender of Iran.
Threats have caused cracks in Trump’s support base among the most aggressive traditional Republicans and the most isolationist elements of the party.
But critics said that in the five months after the return to office, Trump has issued a variety of deadlines, even for war to Russia and Ukraine and other countries in commercial fees negotiations, only to suspend those deadlines or allow them to slide.
“I think that going to war with Iran is a terrible idea, but nobody believes that this” two weeks, “said Democratic Senator Chris Murphy on the social media platform X.” He has used it a million times before to pretend that he could be doing something that is not. He simply makes the United States look weak and silly. “
Leavitt told a regular informative session in the White House that Trump was interested in following a diplomatic solution with Iran, but his highest priority was to ensure that Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon.
She said that any agreement would have to prohibit the enrichment of uranium by Tehran and eliminate Iran’s ability to achieve a nuclear weapon.
“The president is always interested in a diplomatic solution … If there is a possibility of diplomacy, the president will always take it,” Leavitt said. “But you are not afraid to use the force too, I will add.”
Avoid Congress?
Leavitt refused to say if Trump would seek the authorization of Congress for some attacks on Iran. Democrats have raised concerns about CBS reports and other points of sale that Trump has already approved a plan to attack Iran, avoiding Congress, which has the only power to declare war.
Leavitt said that US officials were still convinced that Iran had never been closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon, saying that it would take Tehran only “a couple of weeks” to produce such a weapon.
Leavitt’s evaluation contradicts the testimony of Congress in March of Trump’s Chief of Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. She then said that the United States intelligence community continued to judge that Tehran was not working on a nuclear head.
This week, Trump ruled out Gabbard’s testimony and told reporters: “I don’t care what he said. I think they were very close to having one.”
On Wednesday, Trump’s lieutenant Steve Bannon urged the precaution of the United States that joined Israel to try to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel bombed nuclear objectives in Iran on Thursday and Iran fired missiles and drones to Israel after hitting an Israeli hospital during the night, since a one -week air war increased and none of the parties showed any sign of an exit strategy.
Leavitt said Trump had been informed about the Israeli operation on Thursday and remained in close communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She said that Iran was in “a deeply vulnerable position” and would face serious consequences if she did not agree to stop her work in a nuclear weapon.
Iran has been wearing broader options to respond to the greatest security challenge since its 1979 revolution.
Three diplomats told Reuters that Trump Steve Witkoff’s special envoy and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, have spoken on the phone several times since Israel began their attacks last week.
