Donald Trump keeps Iran guessing: ‘I like to decide one second before it's due'
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (June 18) he was heading into a high-level Situation Room meeting to discuss escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.
'We're having a meeting downstairs in an hour,' Trump told reporters during an Oval Office event.
Asked whether he had made a decision on a US response, Trump said he hadn't finalised one yet.
'I have ideas as to what to do but I haven't made a final — I like to make the final decision one second before it's due, because things change, especially with war,' he said.
While Trump reiterated that he does not seek war with Iran, he also made clear that military conflict might become unavoidable if Iran edges closer to developing nuclear weapons.
'I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do,' the President said.
At another point, he added: 'You may have to fight.'
Trump has long maintained that Iran must never be allowed to possess nuclear arms. But his recent language suggested growing openness to military intervention.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded sharply to Trump's rhetoric, especially the President's demand on social media for Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.'
Khamenei warned: 'Americans should know that any military involvement by the U.S. will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them.'
He dismissed Trump's remarks as 'threatening and absurd,' saying: 'Wise individuals who know Iran, its people and its history never speak to this nation with the language of threats, because the Iranian nation is not one to surrender.'
Pressed on whether a U.S. strike on Iran was imminent, Trump remained deliberately vague.
'I may do it, I may not do it,' he said. 'I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.'
Trump previously said the US knows the whereabouts of Iran's Supreme Leader but added, 'We have no plans to kill him — at least not for now.'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured lawmakers on Wednesday that the Pentagon is ready to carry out any orders from President Trump.
'If and when those decisions are made, the department is prepared to execute,' Hegseth said during Senate Armed Services Committee testimony.
He declined to reveal specifics of any operational plans under review.
In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed gratitude for Trump's backing amid the conflict.
'We speak constantly, including last night,' Netanyahu said. 'We had a very warm conversation.'
Calling Trump 'a great friend of Israel,' the prime minister praised US help in defending Israeli airspace.
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