Only days after commenting on the intensifying Israel-Iran tension, former American President Donald Trump signalled on Saturday that military intervention against Iran "maybe won't be necessary."
This came after his previous comments that America could join Israel's war effort, with a decision anticipated within the next fortnight.
Trump on Friday rejected attempts by European countries to broker the crisis, indicating Tehran is keener to meet Washington directly than take part in EU-sponsored diplomatic efforts.
"Europe isn't going to be able to help," Trump stated, emphasizing his conviction that the dispute can only be resolved through direct U.S.-Iran talks.
Escalation on the Ground: Missiles and Retaliation
Tensions mounted substantially on Friday as Iran fired a barrage of missiles, heavily damaging sections of Israeli cities such as Haifa and Beersheba. One of the missiles hit a medical center in Beersheba, which had largely been evacuated before the assault.
In rapid retaliation, Israel claimed to have carried out strikes against Iranian-affiliated targets, including missile manufacturing facilities and a nuclear research facility, further escalating the conflict.
Trump Hesitant to Call for Restraint on Israel
Amid the violence, Trump showed little inclination to ask Israel to scale back its military actions. When questioned about whether the U.S. would call on Israel to pause its offensive, Trump responded: “It’s very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it’s a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we’re ready, willing and able, and we’ve been speaking to Iran, and we’ll see what happens."
The American position indicates a prudent wait-and-watch, with Trump highlighting continuous communication with Iran while also showing readiness for things to evolve further.
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