Israel and Iran trade strikes as Trump weighs US involvement in conflict
CNN
Iran and Israel continue to trade strikes as President Donald Trump’s decision on whether the US would get involved looms large. Follow for live updates.
• Conflict rages: A new wave of Iranian missiles hit Israel today, with a major hospital in the south sustaining “extensive damage,” according to officials. Iran says it targeted a nearby technology park it claims was used by the Israeli military. Israel also attacked Iran’s “inactive” Arak nuclear facility, with no major damage reported. • Israel threatens Iran’s top leader: Israel’s defense minister said Iran’s supreme leader cannot be allowed to “continue to exist.” He has instructed the Israeli military to “intensify strikes” against Iranian targets. • US weighs options: President Donald Trump will allow two weeks for diplomacy to proceed before deciding whether to launch a US strike in Iran, according to the White House. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised the US for “helping a lot” in the conflict. • On the ground: CNN’s Fred Pleitgen is in Tehran, where the streets are nearly empty amid the sounds of sporadic thuds and outgoing anti-aircraft fire. President Donald Trump will decide whether to launch a US strike on Iran within the next two weeks, he said in a statement delivered by his press secretary during a briefing Thursday. Trump said he wanted to allow diplomatic efforts to proceed before making a final decision on US military action.
