Carnegie's Aaron David Miller on escalating Israel-Iran conflict
Aaron David Miller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow and former deputy special Middle East coordinator for Arab-Israeli negotiation, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Iran war, the role of U.S. in easing the tensions, and more.
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The Hill
23 minutes ago
- The Hill
US shifts Middle East posture as Trump mulls Iran involvement
The U.S. military is positioning itself to potentially join Israel's assault on Iran, as President Trump weighs direct action against Tehran to deal a permanent blow to its nuclear program. Trump on Tuesday urged residents of Tehran to flee and suggested he was weighing action against Iran, less than 12 hours after he had publicly pressed the country to accept his terms for a nuclear deal. Perhaps the biggest question facing Trump is whether the U.S. will drop bunker buster bombs, known as GBU-57, on Iran's Fordow nuclear site, a move Iran hawks say is necessary to eliminate Tehran's nuclear threat. Israel does not possess such a bomb, believed to be the only armament capable of destroying the highly protected nuclear plant buried deep in an Iranian mountain, nor the U.S. B-2 stealth bomber to drop it from. That has former and current Israeli officials pressing the U.S. to enter the conflict. 'The United States is much stronger than us. It has capabilities that we don't possess,' former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday. 'I am sure that the United States, if it decides to act, will do it for its own interests and not our interests only.' Another former Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, also told CNN that Trump has 'an obligation to make sure that the region is going to a positive way and that the world is free from Iran that possesses [a] nuclear weapon.' Trump — who on Monday cut short his visit to the Group of Seven summit in Canada to return to Washington to huddle with his national security team — has already authorized several military capabilities to the Middle East for defensive purposes. Those include more than 30 refueling tanker aircraft sent to Europe, the USS Nimitz carrier strike group ordered to the Middle East and two destroyers sent to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to help Israel defend against guided missile strikes. The refueling tankers could be used to help replenish Israeli jets, offering Trump a less intense option for military involvement. A U.S. official told NewsNation that the planes were moved to the European theater to give Trump 'options' should things escalate further and the U.S. decide to become more involved. The extra equipment and personnel add to the large U.S. force posture in the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops, air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships. The deployments of air and sea assets, taken together, suggest Washington is preparing for a potential offensive operation as Israel and Iran take part in tit-for-tat attacks, open warfare that Israeli officials have said could last 'weeks, not days' and threatens to spark a wider war in the Middle East. Trump on Tuesday afternoon met with his national security team for more than an hour in the Situation Room, according to the White House. But even amid the military buildup and high-level meetings, Trump as of Tuesday afternoon has not publicly committed himself to any course of action. He continues to urge Iran to make a deal to end its nuclear program 'before it is too late,' but has deflected questions as to what would cause a direct U.S. intervention in the war, telling reporters on Monday: 'I don't want to talk about that.' Still, he has hinted the U.S. could step into the fray. He said Tuesday on Truth Social that, 'We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,' which an administration official told NewsNation indicated both the U.S. and its ally Israel, adding the U.S. has no presence in the skies over Iran. 'Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn't compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured 'stuff,'' Trump posted. And Sunday, he said 'it's possible' the U.S. could get involved in the conflict. Israel, now in its fifth day of missile strikes, has already damaged Iranian energy installations, missile sites, nuclear infrastructure, command centers and its state television station, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showing no interest in negotiating after last week launching its largest military operation ever against the regional rival. Israeli attacks, which also killed several of Iran's top military leaders, began after its officials accused Iran of being on the verge of building a nuclear bomb. Since then, the two sides have traded large scale missile attacks in what has become the deadliest confrontation between the countries, with at least 24 people killed in Israel and more than 220 killed in Iran. The U.S. so far has only stepped in to help Israel shoot down incoming missiles via its provided Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense systems. Trump earlier Tuesday also said he was seeking 'a real end' to the conflict, stressing that he's 'not looking for a ceasefire.' But he also warned that Iran knows 'not to touch our troops' and that the U.S. would be 'gloves off' in its response to such a scenario.
New York Times
35 minutes ago
- New York Times
Israel Says It Assassinated Iran's Most Senior Military Commander
Israel said it had killed a newly installed senior Iranian military official on Tuesday, just days after his predecessor was slain, further destabilizing Iran's military chain of command as the war entered its fifth day. Since Israel began bombing Iran on Friday, it has killed at least 11 senior generals while striking Iranian nuclear sites and missile launchers, in what it calls an effort to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. On Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said it had killed Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani, describing him as the most senior military commander in Iran. He was appointed to his post four days ago, replacing a general who was killed by Israel on the first day of hostilities. Iran did not immediately comment on Israel's claim about General Shadmani. If confirmed, his death would deal yet another blow to Iran's beleaguered military leadership. A senior Israeli defense official said that the killing of General Shadmani reflected Israel's decades-long effort to infiltrate Iran's intelligence services, as well as the careless mistakes senior Iranian officials have been making as they try to flee Israeli attacks. Later on Tuesday, the Israeli military launched more airstrikes, with dozens of aircraft bombing the Isfahan area of central Iran, targeting missile launchers, according to Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the Israeli military's chief spokesman. He said in a televised briefing that Iran still had 'significant capabilities that could cause serious damage.' President Trump declared on Tuesday that 'we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran' and called for Iran's 'unconditional surrender' amid growing signs that the United States was considering joining Israel's bombing campaign. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Iran confronts Trump with toughest choice yet
President Donald Trump faces potentially the hardest choice of his time in the White House, as he weighs up whether the United States should join Israel's bombing campaign against Iran. Trump fueled speculation about a US intervention as he dashed back from a G7 summit in Canada, warning Tuesday that the United States could kill Iran's supreme leader, but would not "for now." The choice is a monumental one for a president who has vowed throughout both his first and second terms in the Oval Office to get the United States out of its "forever wars" in the Middle East. "It's a major political and military choice that could define his legacy in the Middle East," Behnam Ben Taleblu, director of the Iran program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told AFP. As Trump met his National Security Council in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday, there were already hints that he was considering abandoning what was until recently his preferred diplomatic route. The most likely option under consideration by Trump would be the use of giant US "bunker-buster" bombs against Iran's deeply buried Fordow nuclear facility that Israel's bombs could not reach. US officials said dismantling Iran's nuclear program -- which Western countries say Tehran is using to seek a nuclear weapon -- remained Trump's priority. - Fluid situation - Trump also implied that the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is back on the table, just days after a US official said he had waved off such a move by Israel. US officials stressed that Trump had not yet made a decision and was keeping all options on the table, with the situation fluid and changing "hourly." The Axios news site said Trump was even considering a new meeting between his top negotiator Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. A game-changer however would be any Iranian attack on US forces in the region, with an official saying that Trump would not tolerate a "hair on the back of an American" being harmed. Trump's change of tone is remarkable for coming less than a week after the US president -- who has openly talked about wanting to win the Nobel Peace Prize -- called on Israel to avoid strikes. But amid frequent phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Netanyahu's own hints about pursuing regime change in Iran, Trump has pivoted. Trump has ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region along with a number of US military aircraft, raising questions about whether he will act. - 'Decisions on your shoulders' - A further hint that action may be on the cards came from the White House's apparent efforts to see off any backlash from his own Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. There has been growing opposition to any Iran intervention from the isolationist wing of his base, who hold him to his pledge to keep the United States out of wars like those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Vice President JD Vance defended his boss, saying Trump had "earned some trust" on the issue and "may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian (uranium) enrichment." "Having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people's goals," the Iraq veteran said, in a nod to MAGA skeptics. Trump himself meanwhile hinted at his mood as he mulled his critical decision. He reposted a comment by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, saying God had "spared" Trump from an assassination attempt last year. "The decisions on your shoulders I would not want to be made by anyone else. You have many voices speaking to you Sir, but there is only ONE voice that matters. HIS voice," Huckabee said. dk/sms
