Trump Weighs U.S. Military Action as Israel-Iran Conflict Enters Seventh Day

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would decide within two weeks whether to directly involve U.S. military forces in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, citing a "substantial chance" for renewed negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program. 

His statement, delivered by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, confirmed that military options — including strikes on Iran’s fortified Fordo uranium enrichment site — remain on the table.

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Meanwhile, hostilities between Israel and Iran escalated for a seventh consecutive day. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz directly threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Iranian missiles struck a hospital in Beersheba and residential areas near Tel Aviv, injuring over 240 people. Katz said Khamenei “should not continue to exist” if Israel is to achieve its security goals.

Standing amid the wreckage of the Soroka Medical Center, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence in U.S. support, saying Trump was "already helping a lot" and would act in America’s best interest.

Amid the ongoing violence, diplomatic efforts appeared to gain momentum. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to meet European Union, UK, French, and German officials in Geneva on Friday. Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy, following talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, stated that "a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution."

The conflict, triggered by surprise Israeli airstrikes last Friday on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, has so far left 657 people dead in Iran, including 263 civilians, with over 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian rights group.

Meanwhile, India continues evacuation efforts for its stranded citizens as tensions threaten to spill over into a broader regional conflict, with the United Nations warning of catastrophic consequences.