Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, President Donald Trump is considering the deployment of U.S. military forces in support of Israeli strikes against Iran, as his administration weighs its strategic options.
Trump held his second Situation Room meeting in as many days with his national security team, keeping the world guessing about a potential U.S. military response.
The president said he understands the concerns of Americans wary of another prolonged Middle East conflict and the potential for Iranian retaliation if the U.S. intervenes militarily.
“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump told reporters during the unveiling of one of two new giant flagpoles at the White House.
“The next week is going to be very big. Maybe less than a week.”
He added, “I don’t want to get involved either, but I’ve been saying for 20 years, maybe longer, that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump’s remarks came after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, rejected his demand for unconditional surrender and warned the U.S. of “irreparable damage” if it intervenes.
In a televised speech, delivered a day after Trump’s call for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” on social media, Khamenei dismissed the idea of surrender as Iranian civilians flooded highways to flee intensified Israeli airstrikes.
“Intelligent people who know Iran and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender,” Khamenei said.
Trump had previously labeled the Iranian leader an “easy target” on June 17, boasting of knowing his whereabout.
Trump also claimed Iran was trying to initiate contact for negotiations on its nuclear program in hopes of ending the conflict with U.S. ally Israel.
“They want to come to the White House. I may do that,” he said. “But it’s very late to be talking… There’s a big difference between now and a week ago.”
Iran, however, denied making any overtures, calling Trump’s statements false.
“Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance,” its UN mission posted on X.
“No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to ‘take out’ Iran’s supreme leader.”
The war of words came as Iranians continued to jam roads out of the capital Tehran, a city of 10 million people, seeking sanctuary from Israeli attacks.
Trump had initially preferred a diplomatic resolution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, seeking a new deal after scrapping the 2015 accord during his first term.
But with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leading airstrikes on Iran for the sixth straight day, Trump has thrown his support behind the offensive and is now considering U.S. military involvement.
Just days ago, Trump said Iran was “weeks” away from acquiring nuclear bomb capability.
He also emphasized that the U.S. possesses “bunker buster” bombs capable of destroying Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility—“but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it,” he noted.
Trump said he has been in daily communication with Netanyahu, telling him to “keep going” with the military campaign.
Netanyahu, in a video message, claimed his forces were making steady progress in neutralizing Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.
“We control the skies over Tehran. We are striking with tremendous force at the regime of the ayatollahs. We are hitting nuclear sites, missile bases, and regime headquarters,” he said.
At the same time, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate committee that the Pentagon is prepared to execute any order given by the president.
His remarks came amid a build-up of U.S. military presence in the region. The USS Nimitz strike group is moving from Southeast Asia to join the USS Carl Vinson, already stationed in the Gulf. U.S. refueling tankers and stealth aircraft, including F-22s and F-35s, were also seen relocating.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Washington on Thursday, with Iran likely to top the agenda.
So far, the U.S. has not formally requested access to UK military bases in Diego Garcia or Cyprus for any potential strikes. Normally, such requests precede joint military operations.
Earlier this week, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem issued an evacuation plan for American citizens in Israel.
It is unclear how many Americans are seeking to leave or whether the military will assist with evacuation.
Since the launch of Israel’s offensive on Friday, 585 Iranians have been killed, including 239 civilians and 126 security personnel, according to the D.C.-based Human Rights Activists group.
In retaliation, Iran has fired approximately 400 missiles into Israel, killing 24 civilians, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian state television also warned the public to disregard a hacked video calling for rebellion against the regime.
“If you notice irrelevant messages while watching TV, it is due to the enemy jamming satellite signals,” state TV said.
The video, apparently inserted by hackers—accused Iran’s leadership of betraying its people and urged viewers to “take control of your future,” featuring clips from anti-regime protests in 2022.
