As the conflict between Israel and Iran closes in on a week since it began, President Donald Trump won’t say if U.S. will get involved in the conflict.
Despite dire warnings from Iran against the U.S. and its potential involvement, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that Iranians want to meet, adding they want to come to the White House.
However, he appeared to throw water on the idea, adding the Islamic Republic should have made a deal.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump told reporters he isn’t “looking to fight.” However, he reiterated that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon.
“I’m not looking to fight. But if it’s a choice between them fighting or having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do. And maybe we don’t have to fight,” the president told reporters.
When asked if he would order a strike on Fordow, Iran’s fuel enrichment plant, a key site for the country’s nuclear enrichment, the president didn’t rule out a strike.
“I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate,” said the president.
He was also asked about giving the Islamic Republic an ultimatum while reminding reporters that the U.S. hasn’t been engaging in the fight.
“You could say so. Maybe you could call it the ultimate ultimatum,” Trump replied. “Don’t forget, we haven’t been fighting. We add a certain amount of genius to everything, but we haven’t been fighting at all. Israel’s done a very good job today, but we’ll see what happens.”
The president stressed that he hadn’t made a final decision on involving U.S. forces in the conflict.
“I have ideas as to what to do. I like to make a final decision one second before it’s due,” Trump explained.
One of the sharpest debates, especially among Republicans, is the notion of regime change in the Islamic Republic. It has faced scrutiny and pushback from many conservatives, citing Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria as costly and failed attempts by the West to architect regime change.
Trump acknowledged that the current fighting could lead to a regime change, simply saying that “anything could happen.”
He added that if it were to fall, there is a “plan for everything, but we’ll see what happens.”
The president’s remarks come on the heels of the U.S. Embassy in Israel, which is beginning to offer American citizens evacuation out of the country through flights or by cruise ship. The Embassy also announced that it was closing for the remainder of the week.
Israeli cities continue to fight off missiles shot from Iran, but those have been notably reduced the last couple of nights due in part to Israel destroying several missile launchers and gaining complete air control over the Islamic Republic.
While the president won’t commit U.S. military support, specifically launching B-2 bombers to drop bunker busters on Fordow, a second aircraft carrier is en route to the region to provide support and security.
