Compiled from news service reports
President Donald Trump will decide whether to take U.S. military action on Iran within the next couple of weeks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday.
“I have a message directly from the president, and I quote: ‘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 said at a White House press briefing.
Trump has been holding meetings in the Situation Room on what to do about Iran.
The president has said he may or may not get involved in the conflict.
Trump’s goal when it comes to Iran is not regime change, but rather ensuring the Islamic Republic cannot obtain a nuclear weapon, said Levitt. He has repeatedly said that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb.
“Let’s be very clear, Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. 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,” Leavitt said.
“And that is something that the entire world, including countries like Russia, is in agreement with, that Iran should not and cannot obtain a nuclear weapon, and that’s why the president believes that, and he has believed that, again, not just his political career, but frankly, his entire life.”
While the president supports Israel’s military action in Iran, he has been pushing for a diplomatic solution.
A deal proposed to the Iranians by special envoy Steve Witkoff that they rejected “was both realistic and acceptable within its terms,” Leavitt said.
Israel has launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, and other infrastructure. Iran has retaliated by hitting civilian population centers in Israel, such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. On Thursday, Iran struck a hospital in Be’er Sheva, in southern Israel, wounding dozens.
Trump has called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” which the regime has rejected. Nonetheless, he has said that the United States is not looking to kill Iranian leader Ali Khamenei for now.
Israel is looking to destroy the Iranian nuclear site at Fordow, which is deep underground and therefore requires bunker-busting bombs, which would allow for hitting infrastructure below the ground. Only the United States has these munitions and planes capable of deploying them.
More Than 240 Israelis Wounded in Iranian Strike on Hospital
At least 240 people were wounded in the Iranian strike Thursday on the Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, Israel.
Most of those wounded suffered minor injuries and the hospital is currently only open for emergencies.
“This is exactly the face of this regime. It’s a terror regime,” Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. “We are targeting military targets. They are targeting civilians. They are aiming to kill as many civilians as they can.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told members of the media that Khamenei “should not continue to exist” following the attack. Trump reportedly vetoed an Israeli proposal to take out Khamenei.
“The cowardly Iranian dictator sits in the depths of the fortified bunker and fires aimed shots at hospitals and residential buildings in Israel,” Katz posted on X. “These are war crimes of the most serious kind — and Khamenei will be held accountable for his crimes.”
The BBC reported that Iran’s state-owned IRNA news agency claimed the attack was aimed at an IDF “command and intelligence headquarters” and an army intelligence camp in the Gav-Yam Technology Park, close to the hospital.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the hospital, said: “We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.”
IDF: Israeli Air Force Strikes Launch Sites, Troops
The IDF said recent strikes targeted engineering equipment at launch sites in Iran that had been hit in earlier Israeli strikes.
“In recent days, Israeli Air Force aircraft identified several attempts by Iranian regime security forces to rebuild launch and storage sites after they were struck by the IDF,” the IDF said in a statement posted to social media platform X.
“The aircraft targeted and destroyed engineering equipment and eliminated dozens of soldiers from Iran’s military forces operating in the area.”
The IDF said the Israeli Air Force continues to operate in Iranian airspace to “remove threats directed at Israel’s home front.”
On Thursday, Israeli media and news agency AFP said Katz told reporters in Holon, near Tel Aviv, “Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed. He personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal.”
Katz said he and Netanyahu had instructed the IDF to increase the intensity of attacks against “government targets in Tehran.”
Israel carried out air strikes on Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, a key element of its nuclear program, on Thursday.
On June 13, Israel began a series of air strikes on key targets in Iran, hours after the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution declaring Iran noncompliant and in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
The massive air campaign — code-named “Operation Rising Lion” — has included attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and has also taken out several senior military officers.
On Wednesday, the IAEA’s director general, Rafael Grossi, told Sky News, “On the basis of our inspection, and on the basis of our own evaluation, we came to the conclusion that we could not affirm that there is any systematic effort in Iran at the moment to manufacture a nuclear weapon.”
He said the IAEA’s report found Iran is enriching 60% uranium, so “there were elements for concern but as to saying they are building and manufacturing a nuclear weapon, no, we didn’t say that.”
Putin Believes in Diplomatic Solution
On Monday, the Kremlin said Russia is prepared to mediate between Israel and Iran and to deal with Tehran’s uranium.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that it’s “a delicate issue” but “in my view, a solution could be found.”
When asked what Russia’s reaction would be if Israel killed Khamenei, Putin said, “I don’t even want to discuss such a possibility.”
He said Russia had shared its proposals with Iran, Israel and the United States.
“We are not imposing anything on anyone; we are simply talking about how we see a possible way out of the situation. But the decision, of course, is up to the political leadership of all these countries, primarily Iran and Israel,” Putin said.
On June 14, the council of the European Union said the bloc expressed “its deepest concern at the dangerous escalation that threatens to destabilize the Middle East following Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s response.”
Speaking at an event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Spanish MEP Antonio López-Istúriz White said, “Israel taking care of Hezbollah, taking care of Hamas, taking care of the nuclear program of Iran, it’s, for us, good.”
López-Istúriz White, from the conservative People’s Party, said: “After Israel, the next target is Europe for the regime. It has always been the case.”
He warned, “When the end might feel that it is appearing on the horizon, that is the most dangerous moment.”
Jackson Richman, T.J. Muscaro, Chris Summers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
