A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering a number of options, which included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran had conveyed to Washington that it would retaliate against the United States for any direct participation, its ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said. He said he already saw the US as “complicit in what Israel is doing”.
“We will not show any reluctance in defending our people, security and land – we will respond seriously and strongly, without restraint.”
FLEEING TEHRAN
Thousands of people were fleeing Tehran on Wednesday after Trump said they should leave the capital, while a source said Trump was considering options that include joining Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear sites.
An Israeli military official said 50 Israeli jets had struck around 20 targets in Tehran overnight, including sites producing raw materials, components and manufacturing systems for missiles. Israel told residents in a southwestern area of Tehran to evacuate so its air force could strike.
Iran responded with a fresh volley of missiles at Israel, and a new warning that it would respond against the United States if Washington joined the war.
Roads north out of Tehran were jammed with traffic.
“We left Tehran this morning. My children were frightened, and we’re going to stay at my brother’s house near Karaj,” Alireza, 37, a businessman, told Reuters by phone.
Arezou, 31, had made it out of the capital and was in the nearby resort town of Lavasan.
“We will stay here as long as this war continues. My friend’s house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians,” she told Reuters. “Why are we paying the price for the regime’s decision to pursue a nuclear programme?”
Iran has been exploring options for leverage, including veiled threats to hit the global oil market by restricting access to the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important shipping artery for oil, which it controls.
Former Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi said on X that Iran should quickly start requiring permission for tankers transiting the strait, a move he said would be “decisive” if implemented quickly. Iran’s Oil Ministry and Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
