Washington ( Europe Brief News): President Trump says a decision on military action against Iran will come within two weeks as U.S. urges talks and Israel-Iran clashes continue.
During a briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a statement from Trump stating that there had been “a lot of speculation” regarding whether the US would be “directly involved,” according to News.Az, which cites international media.
“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,”
Trump said in the statement.
Leavitt declined to elaborate on the factors that made Trump think that talks with Iran were feasible.
Trump said on Wednesday that Iran has requested to send representatives to the White House to negotiate a nuclear program agreement and put an end to the war with Israel. Iran denied that it would.
In response to news that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff had communicated with Iran’s foreign minister, Leavitt stated that “correspondence has continued” between the U.S. and Iran.
She claimed, however, that she was “not tracking” Witkoff’s trip to Geneva for negotiations with Iran.
As he continues to consider joining Israel’s bombing campaign, Trump met for the third time in three days Thursday in the highly secured Situation Room at the White House.
When asked if he would use force against Iran on Wednesday, the US president responded, “I may do it, I may not do it.”
What factors will influence Trump’s final decision on Iran within two weeks?
Trump is considering whether a strike is actually required to stop Iran from manufacturing nuclear weapons at a rapid pace, especially on the country’s fortified Fordo nuclear complex. Although he believes that Fordo must be disabled, he is also thinking about whether Iran could give up its nuclear program diplomatically.
The United States, European nations, and Iran are engaged in a diplomatic endeavor that has a “substantial chance” of preventing armed action. In part, Trump is delaying his decision to see if these negotiations result in a peaceful conclusion.
Trump aspires to prevent a protracted conflict in the Middle East similar to those in Afghanistan and Iraq. His main goal is to prevent any military action from drawing the US into a protracted war.
