US President Donald Trump announced Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to order strikes on Iran amid rising Middle East tensions.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump is weighing the chance of negotiations with Tehran before taking any military action.
The announcement highlights deep divisions within Trump’s Republican base, with voices like Tucker Carlson and Sen. Rand Paul opposing direct involvement.
Critics fear that joining Israel’s campaign against Iran could entangle the US in another costly foreign war, contradicting Trump’s campaign promises.
Meanwhile, hawkish Republicans such as Sens. Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham push for stronger military responses against Iran.
Leavitt emphasized that Trump’s top priority remains preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, calling the threat “existential” to Israel, the US, and the world.
She warned Iran already has the materials to build a nuclear weapon and only needs a leader’s decision to proceed, potentially completing it within weeks.
Iran denies seeking nuclear arms, but global powers, including Russia, reportedly agree the country must not develop such weapons.
Leavitt confirmed ongoing communications between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, despite recent escalations.
Negotiations, launched in April, stalled after Israel launched strikes on June 13 against Iranian facilities, provoking retaliatory missile attacks from Tehran.
Israeli officials report at least 25 killed and hundreds wounded in Iranian missile strikes, while Iranian media say 639 people died in Israeli assaults.
In a parallel diplomatic effort, foreign ministers from Germany, France, and the UK plan to meet Araghchi in Geneva this Friday, seeking to ease tensions.
Leavitt noted she was unsure if Witkoff would attend but would check, as hopes for diplomacy continue amid the shadow of possible conflict.