President Donald Trump said an Israeli strike on Iran is within the realm of possibility as tensions rise between the United States and Iran over a nuclear deal.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said that he doesn’t believe an Israeli strike is imminent, but “looks like it’s something that could very well happen.”
“Whether it’s going in or not going in, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “I’d prefer the more friendly path.”
NEW: Trump says an Israeli strike on Iran is “something that could very well happen.” pic.twitter.com/WicHnlXuzi
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) June 12, 2025
NEW: Trump says an Israeli strike on Iran is “something that could very well happen.” pic.twitter.com/WicHnlXuzi
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) June 12, 2025
Israeli officials told Axios that the IDF has been on “high alert in recent days for possible escalation with Iran.”
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is still set to meet with Iranian officials for the sixth round of nuclear talks on Sunday in Oman, a source told The Daily Wire.
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Trump also explained why he ordered some American personnel to evacuate the Middle East, saying it was because of a “chance of massive conflict.”
“We have a lot of American people in this area, and I said ‘we have to tell them to get out because something that could happen soon, and I don’t want to be the one who didn’t give any warning, and missiles are flying into their buildings.’ It’s possible, so I had to do it.”
He added that the order has the potential to save many lives if a violent conflict arises.
Trump also said that Iran is going to have to “give us some things that they’re not willing to give us right now,” likely referring to Iran refusing to budge on giving up its enrichment capabilities, which the Trump administration has demanded.
Trump says the reason behind evacuating some personnel and dependents from the Middle East is because there is a “chance of massive conflict.”
“We got to tell them to get out because something could happen soon.” pic.twitter.com/Xgt44NmqtL
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) June 12, 2025
While previous rounds of talks have been described as productive by American officials, Trump told the New York Post this week that he is getting “less confident” about getting Iran to make an acceptable deal.
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“They seem to be delaying, and I think that’s a shame, but I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago,” he said. “Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made.”
Trump has expressed his preference to resolve Iran’s nuclear challenges with diplomacy, but has threatened to use military force if a deal cannot be made.
In March, during an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, Trump said Iran can be handled militarily or through negotiating a deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday morning said an agreement could “ensure the continued peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program,” which relies on the “continuation of Iran’s enrichment program, under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the effective termination of sanctions.”
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For the first time in 20 years, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had breached its non-proliferation obligations. The resolution declaring Iran in violation was submitted by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and passed with support from 19 countries. Eleven nations abstained, while only Russia, China, and Burkina Faso voted against it, according to Reuters.
A February report from the International Atomic Energy Agency found that Iran’s uranium stockpile is enriched to 60 percent purity — close to the 90 percent level considered weapon-grade. The total enriched uranium stockpile now stands at approximately 8,294 kilograms, vastly exceeding the deal’s cap of 300 kilograms.
Iran can currently produce enough weapons-grade fissile material to make a nuclear weapon in a week or two, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed in July 2024, adding that Iran had not yet produced a weapon to utilize the material.