The White House announced that President Donald Trump will decide within the next two weeks whether the United States will directly intervene in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
In a press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt conveyed a message from President Trump: “Given the possibility of imminent negotiations with Iran, a decision on direct US involvement will be made within the next two weeks.”
Iran’s deputy foreign minister warned the BBC that US intervention would create “hell” in the region, stating, “This is not America’s war.”
This announcement follows Trump’s statement 24 hours prior indicating his indecision regarding US involvement.
Responding to concerns from supporters about US intervention, Leavitt urged them to “trust in President Trump,” emphasizing that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is his “top priority.”
The press secretary consistently declined to address hypothetical scenarios, including potential White House meetings with Iranian officials or the need for Congressional approval for US involvement.
The Trump administration has maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity, offering limited public insight into its deliberations and potential actions. “I may do it,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “I may not do it.”
The administration asserts that Iran is closer than ever to developing a nuclear weapon, contradicting intelligence assessments, including those presented by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to Congress earlier this year.
Speculation intensified following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.
CBS News reported that Trump had approved plans to attack Iran, although a final decision remained pending. The report suggested that the President was awaiting Iran’s potential abandonment of its nuclear program.
Trump subsequently denied these reports on Truth Social, stating the Wall Street Journal, which initially published the story, had “no idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran.”
Reports indicate that the president is considering strikes on the Iranian nuclear site Fordo, a deeply buried uranium enrichment facility, a site Iran claims is for civilian purposes only.
Fordo’s location, deep within a mountain, renders it largely invulnerable to Israeli weaponry, with only the US possessing ordnance potentially capable of destroying it.
Diplomatic efforts continue, with European foreign ministers scheduled to meet their Iranian counterpart in Switzerland on Friday. Leavitt confirmed ongoing communication between American and Iranian negotiators.
Reuters reported that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have engaged in several phone calls since the start of Israel’s strikes, attempting to find a diplomatic resolution.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, expressed hope for diplomacy but emphasized that negotiations are impossible while the bombardment continues. He characterized US involvement as a regional catastrophe, prolonging the conflict and delaying an end to the violence. He further asserted that this is “not America’s war” and that US intervention would irrevocably tarnish Trump’s legacy.
Trump’s two-week deadline follows a missile attack on a hospital in southern Israel on Thursday morning. Iranian state media reported targeting a nearby military facility, while the Israeli Ministry of Health stated 71 people were injured. Casualty reports vary significantly, with Israel reporting at least 24 deaths, Iran reporting 224 deaths (as of June 15th), and HRANA reporting 639 deaths in Iran.
Israel continued its airstrikes on Thursday, targeting nuclear infrastructure, including an “inactive nuclear reactor” in Arak and the Natanz enrichment facility.
Israel condemned the attack on the hospital as a “criminal” act, while Iran insisted it targeted a nearby site.
A hospital in Beersheba, Israel, was struck during an Iranian missile barrage.
The BBC’s Lucy Williamson reported from outside Soroka Hospital in Beersheba as emergency crews responded.
Amidst the ongoing exchange of fire, President Trump weighs the possibility of joining Israel’s campaign against Iran, stating that “nobody knows what I’m going to do.”