Middle East Tensions Rise As Israel Threatens to Strike Iran

President Donald Trump said Israel “could very well” strike Iran but that he had advised against an attack while negotiations were ongoing, as the departure of US staff from the region fans concerns about a coming assault.

“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump told reporters at an event Thursday at the White House.

In recent days, Trump has said he is less confident the US will reach a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief. The president has repeatedly said that while he wants a diplomatic solution, he does not want Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons and warned the US could resort to military action if a deal is not reached.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Muscat on Sunday for the sixth round of nuclear talks with Iran, according to a person familiar. But Trump has said that Iran is driving a hard bargain, and resisting demands to fully abandon nuclear enrichment efforts.

“We are fairly close to a pretty good agreement. It’s got to be better than pretty good, though, but it’s got to be — I prefer an agreement, as long as I think there is an agreement, I don’t want them going in, because I think that would blow it,” Trump said.

In a sign of the increasingly tense situation, the US ordered some staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad, officials said, after Iran threatened to strike American assets in the region if it is attacked over its nuclear program.

The State Department also said US government employees and family members in Israel are restricted from traveling outside major cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem until further notice.

“Look, there’s a chance of massive conflict,” Trump said. “We have a lot of American people in this area, and I said, we’ve got to tell them to get out, because something could happen soon, and I don’t want to be the one that didn’t give any warning and missiles are flying.”

Earlier in the day, Iran said it would inaugurate a new uranium-enrichment facility in response to a decision by the United Nations atomic watchdog to censure the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.

A key sticking point in discussions is whether Iran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium for civilian purposes. Iran says it won’t end its enrichment, while Trump has said he would not allow Iran to continue producing the material.

Iran has said it would start a new uranium-enrichment facility in response to being censured over its nuclear program by the United Nations atomic watchdog.

Trump earlier this week spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to brief him on the talks with Iran. Netanyahu has long been skeptical of diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program and Trump said in May that he told the Israeli leader a military strike on Iran would be “inappropriate” at that time because it could jeopardize the talks.

Israel says it reserves the right to attack Iran with or without US support. CBS News reported that part of the reason why the Trump administration advised some Americans to leave the region is that US officials have been told that Israel is ready to launch an operation into Iran.

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