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President Donald Trump on Sunday left the door open for direct US military involvement in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, telling ABC News that American forces are not currently engaged but “could get involved.”
In an interview with the network’s Rachel Scott, Trump said he had spoken with Israeli officials and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent days as fighting in the region intensified.
Israel has spent the past week launching airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and missile facilities, with Iran responding with ballistic missile barrages.
“We’re not involved in it. It’s possible we could get involved,” Trump said Sunday. “But we are not at this moment involved.”
The president also downplayed concerns that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program had collapsed.
“There’s no deadline,” Trump said. “But they are talking. They’d like to make a deal. They continue to talk.”
Ttunp’s comments about direct US military strikes in Iran come a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asked him to consider a strike on Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility.
Sources cited by The Times of Israel said Saturday that Trump told Netanyahu the option was on the table if he felt circumstances warranted it.
The facility has reportedly been struck by Israeli forces in recent days with limited damage.
On Sunday morning, CNN’s Scott Jennings pleaded with Trump on his X page to join the IDF in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat.
“The Iranian terror regime has never been weaker (thank you, Israel). The chance to end them as a destabilizing force cannot be missed,” Jennings said. “In my opinion, Trump would be justified in taking out the Fordo nuclear enrichment facility. It would be a righteous decision. And if he does it, no question in my mind that he would deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. This is a once-in-a-generation chance to make the world safer and defend Western Civilization.
Jennings concluded, “Bomb Fordo. Destroy the Iranian Octopus. Restore deterrence. Win the Nobel.”
