President Donald Trump has indicated that a decision regarding potential military action against Iran will be made within two weeks, as tensions escalate in the region.
In a statement delivered by White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, Trump acknowledged the possibility of forthcoming negotiations with Iran, hinting that this could influence his decision on U.S. military involvement.
The backdrop to this announcement includes a series of attacks that have intensified the conflict between Israel and Iran.
Soroka Medical Center in southern Israel reported that several individuals received treatment for injuries and shock after missiles, attributed to Iranian forces, struck the facility.
The attack significantly damaged the hospital’s surgical wing, which had been evacuated prior to the strike.
Footage shared on social media platforms showed destruction within the hospital and billowing smoke.
Iran’s state media contended that the missile was aimed at a nearby military target and denied that the hospital was targeted intentionally.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack and promised retaliation.
Netanyahu stated, “This morning, Iran’s terrorist tyrants launched missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba and at a civilian population in the center of the country.
We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the missile strike as a “war crime” and argued that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “cannot continue to exist.”
Other missiles also impacted a high-rise and various residential buildings in the vicinity of Tel Aviv.
In the wake of the strikes, Katz and Netanyahu have directed the Israeli military to escalate operations against strategic targets in Iran, aiming to undermine its regime.
The Israeli military reported that more than 400 ballistic missiles and approximately 1,000 drones have been launched toward Israeli territory since the outbreak of hostilities last Friday.
The Israeli emergency service, Magen David Adom, noted that three individuals were critically injured from Thursday’s attacks, which included an elderly man and two women.
Additionally, 42 civilians were reported injured due to shrapnel or explosions, while 18 others suffered injuries while seeking shelter.
On the Iranian side, reports indicate that more than 200 people have died as a result of Israeli strikes, though an independent organization, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, has documented 639 fatalities based on non-governmental sources.
Israeli military operations persisted overnight, with an emphasis on the Arak heavy water reactor, which the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed was nonoperational and devoid of nuclear material, thus posing no risk of radiation.
This action represents the latest maneuver in Israel’s broader strategy targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, following its surprise attack a week earlier.
In Washington, Leavitt asserted that the U.S. believes Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon.
While President Trump has not confirmed if the U.S. would join Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear sites, he acknowledged the U.S. military’s capabilities in this regard.
“We’re the only ones that have the capability to do it — but that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it,” he stated on Wednesday.
Trump expressed his inclination to arrive at a decision only moments before it’s required, emphasizing that circumstances can rapidly evolve during wartime.
Earlier in the week, Trump also called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
Khamenei, in a nationally televised address, cautioned that any U.S. military intervention would lead to “irreversible consequences,” asserting that Iran would not yield nor submit to an imposed conflict or peace.
In light of the escalating crisis, Netanyahu noted that the U.S. is actively involved in protecting Israeli skies with THAAD missile batteries stationed within the country, Aegis ships positioned along the coast, and by deploying their pilots to collaborate with Israeli forces against aerial threats.
On the same day, Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed that Israel would welcome any intervention from allied nations that could assist in the complete eradication of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, although he did not specify the U.S.
As the rhetoric intensifies, calls for restraint are being voiced by various states.
Foreign ministers from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have planned to meet with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva on Friday.
These European nations previously participated in the negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.
President Trump, having withdrawn the U.S. from the accord during his first term, has criticized it as overly lenient toward Iran.
The joint statement from the European ministers urged all parties to exercise restraint, avoid further escalation, and return to diplomatic discussions.
image source from：npr
