Trump Says U.S. ‘May’ or ‘May Not’ Join Israel’s Strikes Against Iran

NY Times-June18th2025

Isabel Kershner David E. Sanger and Ephrat Livni

Isabel Kershner reported from Jerusalem

Here’s the latest.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday dismissed President Trump’s threats and rejected his call for an “unconditional surrender,” adding to fears of a wider conflagration in the Middle East.

“Intelligent people who know Iran, the nation and the history of Iran will never speak to this nation in the language of threats, because the Iranian nation cannot be surrendered,” he said in a televised statement, according to Iranian state media. “The Americans should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage.”

His remarks on the sixth day of the war were a defiant response to Israel and to Mr. Trump, who has signaled that the United States was weighing whether to join Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran’s nuclear program.

Any potential U.S. military strike would likely have a much more devastating impact on Iran’s nuclear program than Israel can wreak alone, and Israel has been pressing for the U.S. military to assist its efforts.

Mr. Trump has long maintained that he opposes getting involved in foreign wars and has repeatedly expressed hopes for a nuclear deal with Iran. But he said on Tuesday that “our patience is wearing thin.”

Israel continued to pummel Iran on Wednesday afternoon, launching fresh strikes on Tehran. Earlier in the day, Israel’s military said more than 50 Israeli warplanes had attacked targets across the Iranian capital, including a nuclear centrifuge plant. The Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on the claims, though the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said that two centrifuge production facilities had been hit.

Iran fired about 30 ballistic missiles at Israel in two barrages after midnight and two waves of drones on Wednesday morning, but most of the missiles and all the drones were intercepted, Israel said. There were no immediate reports of casualties, and Iran’s missile salvos appeared to be limited compared with earlier attacks.

As the Trump administration contemplates its next steps, the U.S. president seemed to suggest that the United States could enter the conflict against Iran. He used the word “we” while referring to Israeli military operations, and also cited the possibility of killing Ayatollah Khamenei. “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Israel considers Iran’s nuclear program to be a threat to its survival. The Israeli military has struck and damaged some of Iran’s major nuclear sites since Friday, but lacks the capability to effectively hit the facilities at Fordo, the most important nuclear site, which lie deep underground. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has pressed for the United States to make its biggest bunker-busting bombs, considered the weapon for the job, available since the Bush administration.

Here’s what else to know:

Threat of retaliation: Iranian officials have said that if the United States enters the war, Iran will attack American bases in the region. Iran has prepared missiles for these possible strikes, according to U.S. officials who have reviewed intelligence reports.
Shift in strategy: In Iran, Israel is carrying out the kind of broad and brazen attack that it long threatened but never dared to enact. The campaign reflects an extraordinary shift in Israeli military doctrine since Hamas, Iran’s Palestinian ally, attacked the country in October 2023. That change has redrawn the power dynamics in the Middle East, unraveled Iran’s regional alliance and enshrined Israel as the dominant military force in the region.
Stranded travelers: The first flights carrying Israelis stranded abroad landed at Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday as part of a wave of special transports to bring citizens home. Thousands of international tourists have been unable to leave Israel since the country’s airspace was closed to civilian flights last week.
Internet disrupted: Amid severe disruptions to internet services in Iran, the country’s state broadcaster urged people to remove WhatsApp from their phones, claiming that the messaging app was collecting user information and sending it to Israel. WhatsApp has rejected the allegations.