US President Donald Trump has remarked that an Israeli strike on Iran “could very well happen.” He referenced a senior Israeli official’s comments to the Wall Street Journal, indicating that such military action might occur as soon as Sunday if Iran does not agree to halt its atomic bomb material production.
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This scenario has raised apprehensions that military action could trigger a wider regional conflict and retaliatory strikes from Iran. Mr. Trump, however, has expressed his desire for a peaceful resolution to the tensions, stating, “We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue!” on his Truth Social platform.
Tensions in the region are escalating as Mr. Trump’s efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran seem to be at a standstill. According to US intelligence, Israel is actively preparing for a potential strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
In a related development, US and Iranian officials are set to engage in their sixth round of talks in Oman this Sunday. This dialogue focuses on Iran’s escalating uranium enrichment program, as confirmed by officials from both nations and their Omani mediators.
Earlier, the UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors pointed out Iran’s breach of non-proliferation obligations, to which Iran has announced its countermeasures. A senior Iranian official claimed that a “friendly country” had alerted them to a possible Israeli attack.
Concerns over security in the region have intensified following Mr. Trump’s announcement yesterday about the withdrawal of American personnel due to the potential dangers, reiterating that Iran must not be permitted to develop nuclear weapons. Despite this, US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have expressed worries that Israel might take military action against Iran shortly, even after Mr. Trump’s recent caution to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against such moves while US diplomacy remains active with Iran.
According to reports from the Journal, Mr. Netanyahu discussed the possibility of strikes during a phone call with Mr. Trump on Monday. “I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Mr. Trump told reporters. He emphasized, “Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,” adding, “I’d love to avoid the conflict,” while stressing that Iran needs to negotiate more seriously to make meaningful concessions.
The instability from the ongoing conflict in Gaza is already cascading throughout the Middle East. Mr. Trump threatened to bomb Iran if the nuclear discussions remain unfruitful, expressing diminished confidence that Iran will agree to cease uranium enrichment. Iran continues to advocate for the lifting of sanctions imposed by the US since 2018, deepening the impasse.
Frustrated by rising oil prices amid concerns of potential conflict in the Middle East, Mr. Trump has also observed that some foreign diplomats suspect the evacuation of US personnel and the mention of an Israeli attack may serve as tactics to heighten pressure on Iran at the negotiating table.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the current tensions appear aimed at coercing Tehran into altering its stance regarding its nuclear rights during the discussions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian remarked that even if Iran’s nuclear facilities were targeted and destroyed, they would be rebuilt, as reported by state media.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board’s recent declaration that Iran is in breach of its non-proliferation obligations represents the first such finding in almost 20 years, potentially leading to a referral to the UN Security Council. This development reflects the culmination of a series of standoffs between the IAEA and Iran following Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018, a decision that precipitated the unraveling of that agreement.
An IAEA official indicated that in response to the board’s declaration, Iran has signaled plans to open a third uranium enrichment facility.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
