5 min ago
Trump says he has not made a final decision on possible US military involvement against Iran
From CNN's Betsy Klein
President Donald Trump said that as of this afternoon, he has not yet arrived at a final decision on potential US involvement in the conflict between Israel and Iran, adding that he is soon convening his team in the Situation Room with top officials to discuss options.
“I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven’t made a final — I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, you know, because things change. I mean, especially with war, things change with war. It can go from one extreme to the other,” he told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in the Oval Office.
Trump detailed some of his thinking as he has warmed to the idea of potentially using US military assets to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.
“It started the first night,” he said, referring to Israel’s bombardment of nuclear sites and military officials in Iran, which began last week.
Trump continued, “That first night was devastating, and it really knocked the one side off, as you know, devastating. A devastating evening, day, and it pretty much proceeded that way. I have a meeting in the War Room in a little while, the Situation Room, as some people call it. So we’re going to meet, we’re going to see. We’re in the midst of it.”
Asked about what would happen if the Iranian regime falls, Trump said, “I have a plan for everything, but we’ll see what happens. Got a ways to go,” reiterating that Iran “should have” made a nuclear deal.
Trump again suggested that Iran wants to meet and “(wants) to come to the White House,” something Iranian officials have
strongly disputed.
The president later added that he has not “closed the door on meeting with them.”