The White House / Flickr (Left), Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by Prachatai / Flickr (Right)
The Trump administration said Thursday it will decide “within the next two weeks” whether to intervene militarily in the rapidly escalating Israel-Iran conflict, as backchannel diplomacy efforts continue.
“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,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, directly quoting President Donald Trump at a June 19 briefing.
While the administration remains open to talks, Leavitt called the prospect of Iran possessing a nuclear weapon “an existential threat… to the entire world.”
“Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon,” she said. “All they need is a decision from the Supreme Leader… which would, of course, pose an existential threat not just to Israel, but to the United States and to the entire world.”
Behind the scenes, US special envoy Steve Witkoff has held multiple phone conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi since Israeli strikes began against Iran June 13, according to three diplomats who spoke to Reuters. The conversations aim to explore potential diplomatic solutions.
Tehran has reportedly refused to engage in formal negotiations while Israeli strikes continue. However, Araghchi indicated that Iran could show flexibility on nuclear issues if the US pressures Israel to pause its offensive, the diplomats said.
According to Reuters, “This week’s phone discussions were the most substantive direct talks since the two began negotiations in April.”
Among the proposals discussed is a US plan, originally floated in May, to create a regional uranium enrichment consortium outside Iran’s borders — a bid to prevent Iran from expanding its nuclear program. Thus far, Iran has rejected the offer.
One day earlier, Trump told reporters that Iranian officials had reached out to negotiate but that he warned them it was “very late,” CatholicVote reported. Iran denied ever reaching out.
Meanwhile, tensions surged further Thursday after Iranian missiles struck the largest hospital in southern Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later vowed that Israel would “strike all the nuclear facilities,” adding: “We have the power to do it.”
When asked about possible US involvement, Netanyahu said, “He will do what is best for the US, and I will do what is best for Israel.”
