United States President, Donald Trump has warned that the United States may be forced to intervene directly in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran if the current escalation continues unchecked.
Speaking in an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Trump emphasized that the U.S. is not currently involved in the conflict but did not rule out the possibility of future intervention.
“We’re not involved in it. It’s possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved,” Trump said, referring to the rapidly intensifying military exchanges between the two longtime enemies.
The latest violence began Friday when Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran, targeting suspected nuclear and military assets. In response, Iran has unleashed waves of missile and drone attacks on major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv, triggering days of chaos and destruction on both sides.
Despite the bloodshed, Trump expressed optimism that diplomacy could still prevail, predicting that Iran and Israel would eventually “make a deal” to de-escalate the crisis.
In a surprising twist, Trump also suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin could serve as a mediator between the two nations, citing Russia’s longstanding relationships with both Israel and Iran.
“He is ready. He called me about it. We had a long talk about it. We talked about this more than his situation,” Trump said, referring to Putin’s war in Ukraine. “This is something I believe is going to get resolved.”
However, Trump’s remarks were met with skepticism in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on Sunday that the Islamic Republic believes the U.S. is already complicit in Israel’s attacks.
“We have received messages from the U.S. through various channels over the past two days stating that the U.S. had no involvement and will have no involvement in this attack,” Araghchi said. “As I said, we don’t believe the U.S.’s claim.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency personnel and family members from its embassy in Israel amid growing security concerns. A memo from the department also urged American citizens to leave the region as soon as possible.
“U.S. citizens who wish to depart should not delay in taking advantage of commercial transportation options,” the advisory stated, adding that the embassy’s shelter-in-place order remains in effect until further notice.
Images from the region show the stark reality of the conflict: smoke billowing over Tehran following Israeli airstrikes, and Israel’s Iron Dome intercepting Iranian missiles in the skies over Tel Aviv.
While calls for restraint echo globally, the conflict remains volatile and unpredictable, with fears growing that more international actors could soon be drawn into the fray.
