As Trump pressures Iran with "massive armada," Mideast allies urge him not to strike
CBSN
As the Trump administration continues to prepare military options for strikes in Iran, U.S. allies in the Mideast, including Turkey, Oman and Qatar, are attempting to head off that possibility by brokering diplomatic talks, multiple regional officials told CBS News. Camilla Schick and Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.
As the Trump administration continues to prepare military options for strikes in Iran, U.S. allies in the Mideast, including Turkey, Oman and Qatar, are attempting to head off that possibility by brokering diplomatic talks, multiple regional officials told CBS News.
But at this point, the opportunity for direct diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran to discuss the regime's nuclear program and ballistic missile capacity has not gained traction, according to three regional officials who spoke with CBS News on condition of anonymity so they could speak freely.
Israeli military intelligence chief General Shlomi Binder was in Washington earlier this week for meetings at the Pentagon, CIA and White House, a source familiar with his plans told CBS News. Axios was first to confirm the Israeli visit — which had not been announced by the Trump administration. Separately, the Saudi Defense Minister is scheduled to be in Washington, D.C., this week for meetings, according to a source familiar with his schedule.
In Iran, thousands of protesters are thought to have been killed, with many more detained, as Iranian authorities have led a brutal crackdown on recent demonstrations sparked by economic hardship and political repression. A near-complete shutdown of internet and communications has now lasted for over two weeks, with only small numbers of Iranians recently managing to connect.
In a social media post on Wednesday, President Trump said a "massive armada" was heading towards Iran, urging its government to "come to the table." Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post soon thereafter that Iran's security forces " are prepared—with their fingers on the trigger—to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea."
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