President Donald Trump stated Thursday that he will decide within the next two weeks whether the U.S. military will directly intervene in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. His decision will take into account the “substantial chance” of resuming talks over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, as hostilities between the two nations entered their seventh day.
Trump is reportedly considering a strike on Iran’s heavily fortified Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried deep underground and considered nearly impervious to anything but the U.S.’s most advanced bunker-busting bombs. The announcement was delivered by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Earlier in the day, Israel’s defense minister issued a sharp warning to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a missile barrage that struck a major hospital in southern Israel and damaged homes near Tel Aviv, injuring over 240 people. “To achieve our objectives, it is clear this man must not be allowed to remain alive,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz.
As emergency crews evacuated patients from the burning hospital, Israeli fighter jets carried out another wave of strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
