Trump says he will decide on US involvement in Iran within 2 weeks

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he would make a decision about US military involvement in Iran within two weeks, offering a timeframe for a possible intervention into a conflict that flared last week and has so far remained limited to Israel and the Islamic Republic.

“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 on whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Trump said via White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“As for correspondence between the United States and the Iranians, I can confirm that correspondence has continued as you know we were engaged with six rounds of negotiations with them in both indirect and direct ways,” Leavitt said.

Trump is facing defiance from many in his own party over his comments on Wednesday, in which he said that he “may” or “may not” order US forces to participate in Israel’s strikes against the Islamic republic.

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Trump says US ‘may’ or ‘may not’ strike Iran as Tehran rejects call to surrender

Trump says US ‘may’ or ‘may not’ strike Iran as Tehran rejects call to surrender

Steve Bannon, one of the most influential voices from Trump’s “America First” coalition, has warned against any US military operations supporting Israel’s bid to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme absent a diplomatic deal.