Trump Meets Security Team, U.S. May Join Israel's War Against Iran

President Donald Trump convened a meeting with his national security team in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the escalating conflict in the Middle East. This move has fueled speculation that the U.S. may join Israel in its war against Iran. The meeting lasted over an hour, but the White House did not issue an immediate statement afterward. Prior to the gathering, Trump took to social media to demand Iran's "unconditional surrender" and threatened to strike Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote, "We have a precise location of the so-called 'Supreme Leader.' It would be easy to target him, but he is safe there—we won't take him out (kill him!), at least not yet."

This escalating conflict began late last week when Israel launched an attack, leading to five consecutive days of missile exchanges between the two bitter enemies. The situation has intensified, with Israel announcing plans to increase the intensity of its airstrikes. Iran's nuclear facilities, military leaders, and infrastructure have already been targeted. U.S. weapons are seen as crucial in completely destroying Iran's nuclear program, as Israel's solo efforts would be less effective.

Trump also held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the meeting. Meanwhile, various parties are speculating about the next steps the U.S. president might take. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, who also attended the summit, stated that the U.S. would decide on entering the war "within the day." He added that if Iran does not return to the negotiating table, "completely destroying Iran's nuclear program may be on the agenda."

Prior to Israel's surprise attack, Iran had been in negotiations with the U.S. over the nuclear deal for several weeks. Vice President JD Vance stated on Tuesday that Trump has made it clear to the American people and the world that U.S. policy is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, including not allowing it to enrich uranium. He also mentioned that the president has various options and choices to achieve this policy goal.

Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted the country's armed forces chief of staff as saying that "punitive action" against Israel is imminent and urged Israeli citizens to evacuate Tel Aviv and Haifa. Earlier in the day, Trump posted on social media that "we now have complete and total air superiority over Iran." He also praised U.S. military equipment for helping Israel gain air superiority.

Israel is attempting to draw the U.S. into direct conflict, despite the fact that the U.S. military has only provided support for defending against Iranian missiles. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated on Monday that the two countries share a common enemy, and supporting Israel aligns with U.S. interests. After five rounds of negotiations, Trump left open the possibility of further dialogue on Iran's nuclear activities but emphasized that Tehran had failed to reach an agreement to stop Israeli attacks. He mentioned the possibility of sending a high-level official, such as envoy Steven Vitekof or Vance, to engage with Iran.

Israel reported that Iran's firepower had decreased on Tuesday, with the military spokesperson stating that only "a few dozen" missiles had been fired since midnight, compared to hundreds over the weekend. Despite this, Israel's Oil Refineries Ltd. announced the closure of its refinery on Monday following damage to its facilities and the deaths of three employees.