Israel-Iran conflict: Donald Trump may consider joining Israel in striking Iranian nuclear websites; report claims growing US involvement

US President Donald Trump is weighing the opportunity of US involvement in Israel’s ongoing strikes on Iranian nuclear amenities, a number of officers accustomed to the matter informed CBS News.Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One early Tuesday, Trump made his stance clear. “I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate with Iran,” he mentioned, including that his purpose is a everlasting resolution: “an end, a real end, not a ceasefire.”Later, on Truth Social, Trump doubled down, calling for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” and stating that the US is aware of “exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.”

US defence officers had made preparations anticipating Trump’s potential directive for the US Air Force to assist Israeli fighter plane with refuelling throughout their operations over Iran, two sources informed CNN.These sources indicated that this consideration partly explains why greater than 30 aerial refuelling tankers have been deployed to the area in current days.Refueling Israeli jets midair can be one of many least aggressive types of assist. Still, CENTCOM has introduced Trump with the opportunity of joint US-Israel strikes on nuclear amenities.Vice President JD Vance echoed the urgency, posting on X that Trump “may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president.”Trump met along with his nationwide safety staff in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday. Israeli officers, who’ve been urging US involvement, expressed optimism however mentioned no formal choice from the US had been conveyed but.While Trump had beforehand prevented direct navy involvement past missile protection and intelligence sharing, his current statements — together with “we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran” — counsel a shift.“Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff.’ Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA,” he wrote on Truth Social.After Israel launched strikes on Iran early Friday, it claimed Iran was quickly advancing towards constructing nuclear weapons. However, a US intelligence report earlier this 12 months mentioned Iran was not pursuing a nuclear bomb, although mounting strain may be pushing the regime to restart its nuclear program.The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that Iran has considerably elevated its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium in current months. Iran continues to insist its nuclear program is for peaceable functions.While President Trump has not confirmed direct US involvement, his current posts on Truth Social have stirred hypothesis. Trump’s more and more aggressive tone and use of the time period “we” in reference to navy actions have raised questions in regards to the extent of American involvement.And one of many key targets being thought-about is Iran’s Fordo nuclear website, a closely fortified uranium enrichment facility buried deep beneath a mountain. According to Brett McGurk, a former US official who served beneath 4 presidents, “Fordo is the crux of this thing.” Destroying it could deal a significant blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, however solely the US has the firepower to make that occur.Military specialists agree that a number of precision strikes by American B-2 bombers can be wanted in a rigorously coordinated mission. The New York Times studies that the Pentagon has rehearsed this situation, which entails dropping a sequence of bombs “down the same hole” to penetrate Fordo’s deep underground construction.Fordo is positioned practically 300 toes beneath a mountain and guarded by heavy air defenses. It is broadly believed to be Iran’s almost definitely website for creating nuclear weapons, as it’s the place Iran has enriched uranium and expanded its stockpile.