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Trump weighs joining Israel in striking Iran

Jun 18, 2025, 6:19am EDT
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Smoke rises in Tehran.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters

US President Donald Trump is considering whether to join Israel’s bombardment of Iran, including possibly targeting its tightly guarded Fordo nuclear enrichment site.

Trump was elected on a platform of withdrawing Washington from entanglements in foreign wars and had prioritized securing a deal to neuter Iran’s nuclear program, but reportedly sees an opportunity to destroy it militarily: Notably, the US is the only country with the warplanes and bombs capable of destroying Iran’s underground enrichment sites.

Analysts cautioned of the risks of American involvement, arguing military means were unlikely to end Iranian nuclear efforts: “Instead, [the US] will likely find itself enmeshed in yet another prolonged and bloody Middle Eastern conflict,” an expert at the Carnegie Endowment argued.

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