Trump says he wants “real end” to Iran’s nuclear program, not just an Iran-Israel ceasefire

President Trump stated early Tuesday morning that he needs “an actual finish” to Iran’s nuclear downside, with Tehran “giving up completely” its enrichment actions. He stated he was not simply working towards a ceasefire to finish the conflict between Iran and Israel, which has claimed no less than two dozen lives in Israel and tons of in Iran because it enters its fifth day.

“I did not say I used to be on the lookout for a ceasefire,” Mr. Trump instructed reporters on Air Pressure One after reducing brief his time on the G7 summit in Canada.

Earlier, the president stated on his Reality Social platform that French President Emmanuel Macron had “mistakenly stated that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to return to D.C. to work on a ‘stop fireplace’ between Israel and Iran. Flawed! He has no concept why I’m now on my technique to Washington, but it surely actually has nothing to do with a Stop Fireplace. A lot greater than that.”

Mr. Trump predicted that Israel wouldn’t sluggish its assault on Iran, which has largely decapitated the Islamic republic’s army command and inflicted important harm to its controversial nuclear program.

“You are going to discover out over the following two days. You are going to discover out. No person’s slowed up up to now,” he stated, hours after issuing an ominous warning that every one of Tehran’s roughly 10 million inhabitants ought to “instantly evacuate.”

Requested about that warning on Air Pressure One early Tuesday, Mr. Trump stated he needed “folks to be protected,” with out providing any additional rationalization. Israel on Monday warned about 300,000 residents in a central district of Tehran to evacuate, pending assaults within the space.

Mr. Trump urged the explanation he did not need to keep in Canada was as a result of he could not confidentially monitor developments within the Center East. He stated he may very well be “extra effectively versed” within the White Home Scenario Room and keep away from cellphones. “I do not consider in telephones — as a result of folks such as you hearken to them,” he instructed reporters on the aircraft. “Being on the scene is a lot better.” 

A supply with data of the talks instructed CBS Information on Monday that Tehran had indicated to negotiators in Qatar and Oman that it was ready to debate a brand new cope with the U.S. on its nuclear program, however not whereas it was nonetheless underneath Israeli assault.  

The president stated it was attainable he may ship particular envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance, or each, to satisfy with Iranian negotiators, however “it relies upon what occurs once I get again” to Washington.

“I do not know,” Mr. Trump added. “I am not an excessive amount of within the temper to barter.”

Addressing any attainable risk to U.S. pursuits within the area, Mr. Trump stated Iran knew to not goal U.S. forces, because the U.S. would “come down so exhausting in the event that they do something to our folks.”

The president declined to say whether or not Joint Chiefs of Employees Chairman Lt. Gen. Dan Caine and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth had supplied him with choices within the occasion Iran does assault U.S. bases within the Center East.

“I am unable to inform you that,” he stated.

Requested if it might take U.S. involvement to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, Mr. Trump stated he hoped it might be “worn out lengthy earlier than that.”

Vance says Trump has “proven outstanding restraint” however “could determine he must take additional motion”

Vance weighed in on the Iran scenario and Mr. Trump’s response in a prolonged social media publish Tuesday morning. Vance stated the president has “proven outstanding restraint” in how he makes use of the U.S. army and that persons are “proper to be frightened about international entanglement,” however argued the president has “earned some belief on this concern.”

Vance stated Mr. Trump “could determine he must take additional motion to finish Iranian enrichment,” a call that “finally belongs to the president.”

“And having seen this up shut and private, I can guarantee you that he’s solely interested by utilizing the American army to perform the American folks’s objectives,” Vance wrote. “No matter he does, that’s his focus.”

Trump says Iran was “very shut” to acquiring a nuclear weapon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has framed the assault he ordered on Iran late final week as an “existential” battle for Israel’s survival. He claimed intelligence — which Israel has not shared publicly — confirmed the nation was “racing” towards the event of a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu, together with all latest U.S. presidents together with Mr. Trump, have at all times stated they may not enable Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Simply a number of months in the past, nevertheless, Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered an evaluation to lawmakers that stated U.S. businesses continued “to evaluate that Iran shouldn’t be constructing a nuclear weapon and Supreme chief Khomeini has not licensed the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.”

Gabbard stated the U.S. was persevering with to “monitor intently if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program,” and he or she famous that “up to now yr, we have seen an erosion of a a long time lengthy taboo in Iran on discussing nuclear weapons in public doubtless emboldening nuclear weapons advocates inside Iran’s decision-making equipment.”

Requested on Air Pressure One about that evaluation from Gabbard, that Iran was not constructing a nuclear weapon, Mr. Trump instructed reporters: “I do not care what she stated. I believe they had been very near having them.”

Israel expands assault on Iran

Israel expanded its aerial assault on Iran Monday, hitting not solely nuclear and army amenities and assassinating senior army leaders, however concentrating on the regime-controlled media. Iranian State TV’s sprawling headquarters in Tehran got here underneath assault because the community was broadcasting.

CBS Information’ Seyed Bathaei in Tehran stated the community remained on the air, however that one a part of its compound was on fireplace Monday night.

Requested concerning the strike on Tuesday, Israel Protection Forces spokesman Brigadier Common Effie Defrin stated the community “was used to unfold anti-Israeli propaganda and known as for genocide for a number of a long time. We attacked it simply as we assault all elements of the Iranian terrorist regime and the plan to destroy Israel.”

In a transparent present of domination over its long-time archrival, Israel additionally stated Tuesday that it had killed the Iranian army’s chief of workers Ali Shadmani, simply 4 days after his predecessor was killed in Israel’s first spherical of strikes.

“Following exact intelligence obtained by the Intelligence Department, we eradicated Ali Shadamnai, the Chief of Employees of the Battle, essentially the most senior army commander of the Iranian regime. He was eradicated on the Iranian regime’s headquarters within the coronary heart of Tehran. Shadmani was the Chief of Employees of the Iranian regime’s armed forces and the person closest to Iran’s chief Khamenei. He was appointed to exchange the earlier Chief of Employees, whom we additionally thwarted within the opening blow of the operation.”

The assaults have despatched 1000’s of Iranians racing to attempt to evacuate main cities. A large explosion within the metropolis of Isfahan was caught on somebody’s dashcam over the weekend because the passengers tried to flee.

“We will not go away. What else can we do,” the automobile’s anxious occupants will be heard saying.

The human price of the conflict is escalating on either side. Iranian officers have not supplied an replace since Sunday, after they stated no less than 220 folks had been killed. They didn’t give a breakdown however stated many civilians had been among the many casualties

In Israel, Netanyahu stated Monday that no less than 24 folks had been killed by Iranian missiles that managed to evade the nation’s strong air defenses.

The assaults continued Monday night and into Tuesday morning, with Defrin saying Iran had launched 30 missiles, most of them intercepted, “however a number of hits had been recognized.”

He didn’t report any new casualties, however warned Israelis: “We should not be complacent, the Iranians nonetheless have intentions and the flexibility to strike.”

On Monday, an Iranian missile slammed into an residence constructing within the central Israel metropolis of Peta Tikva, killing 4 folks.

Israeli American Lihi Griner was there, together with her husband and three youngsters, hiding of their protected room.

“It was the largest increase ever,” she instructed CBS Information. “Even our protected room was shaking.”

When the household emerged, they discovered shattered glass strewn throughout their residence.

Given Mr. Trump’s warnings and Netanyahu’s acknowledged willpower to take away what he considers the multi-faceted risk posed by the Iranian regime, CBS Information requested Griner if she was ready for the conflict with Iran to worsen earlier than it will get higher.

“I am not ready,” she stated. “I am simply gonna go and run in my little, , bomb shelter. I am not ready for every thing. I wasn’t ready for this.”

Kathryn Watson

contributed to this report.