The White House announced Thursday that President Donald Trump would make his decision to join Israel’s campaign to destroy Iran’s nuclear program sometime within the next two weeks. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read his statement on the matter to the 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.
The president decided to wait in order to allow for Iran to negotiate a deal over its nuclear program, Leavitt said, adding the White House has been in touch with Iranian officials.
“As for correspondence between the United States and the Iranians, I can confirm that correspondence has continued,” she said.
Leavitt also stated that any such deal must include “no enrichment of uranium” for Iran. Enrichment has consistently been a red line for Iranian negotiators in the past.
As Trump awaits a deal from Iranian negotiators, Israel continues to attack Iran’s nuclear program sites. Israeli airstrikes on Thursday damaged the heavy water reactor at the Arak nuclear facility, inflicted further damage on the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, and hit laboratories and centrifuge manufacturing plants in central and northern Iran.
Iranian ballistic missile barrages continue to penetrate Israel’s air defenses, with one missile striking a hospital in Soroka and wounding more than 80 people. In total, over 270 people were hospitalized Thursday morning due to Iranian missile and drone attacks, according to Israel’s health ministry.
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