Trump announces: The attack of Israel on Iran “could very well take place.” What he answered, asked if the blow is “imminent”

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that an Israeli attack on Iran “might very well”, but refused to say if he is imminent and suggested that he prefer to avoid him by negotiating on Tehran's nuclear program, Politico reports.

Trump's statements came against the background of increasing concerns in Washington, the Middle East and beyond that, according to which Israel is about to launch an attack. The special US emissary in the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will meet in a few days with two high Israeli officials to clarify the position of Israel. The US also withdraw their American diplomats from some Middle East positions.

It is not clear at all whether Israel will take such a drastic measure, to which Iran probably responds. Asked if an attack is imminent, Trump replied, “I don't mean imminent.”

“But,” he added, “it seems something that might happen very well.”

He indicated that the conducting diplomatic negotiations are the best way. “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons,” he said. “In addition, I want negotiations to be successful. I want to be extraordinary. We will help them to be successful. We will trade with them. We will do everything necessary,” added the US president.

The information about the potential Israeli blow could aim to press the Tehran to make concessions in a new round of nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran, scheduled in Oman on Sunday. Witkoff is involved in these negotiations. But the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also believes that he has a short time to destroy the atomic infrastructure of Iran, because Tehran and his proxy militia are unusually weak after the other Israeli attacks made in the last and a half year.

The subject is a delicate one for Trump's political coalition. Many of the supporters have isolationist opinions and want to avoid involvement in a war in the Middle East. Others are more aggressive and believe that the possibility of Iran holding nuclear weapons is a threat to Israel that cannot be solved by diplomatic.

Although Israel could launch only attacks that destroy some of the nuclear infrastructure of Iran, military analysts say it needs US help to truly destroy the Iranian program. In any case, if Iran responds, Israel may need US help to defend itself.

On Wednesday, the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth refused to exclude the possibility of preventive attacks on Iran, when asked about this in an hearing in the American Congress. Asked if the Washington administration will warn Netanyahu not to climb the conflict, he avoided the answer, offering a vague reply.

“What I know is that Bibi Netanyahu will put his country in the first place, and we will put our country in the first place and we are properly positioned in the region to make sure we are prepared for any eventuality,” said Hegseth.

A person close to the president's national security team said that, for now, Trump and his team still hope for a nuclear agreement with Iran. But, the person added, Trump's team adopts a firm position about whether Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium on his territory. The Trump administration does not want to allow this, while Iran insists on retaining this right, even if the enrichment of uranium is done at low levels, which does not approach those needed to make a nuclear bomb. Iran has long denied that it is aiming to manufacture a bomb, saying it wants to obtain nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Two high Israeli officials – Ron Dermer, main counselor of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and David Barnea, the head of the Mossad spy agency – are expected to travel on Friday to meet with Witkoff, according to an Israeli official. The Israeli official did not specify the place where the meeting will take place.

On Wednesday, Israel's ambassador to the United States went to the White House for discussions, according to a person familiar with events. A white house spokesman refused to comment immediately.

The Israeli official, the person familiar with the events and the person close to Trump's national security team made these details under the protection of anonymity, because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the evolution of the situation, notes Politico.

The Iranian Minister of Defense threatened to hit the American bases in the region on Wednesday if Iran's nuclear program negotiations fail and erupt a conflict with the US.

John Bolton, who was Trump's national security counselor during the first term of president of the Republican, but who is in cold relations since then with the White House leader, claimed that Israel will not necessarily wait for the United States before launching an attack. But he could ask the US help to defend himself against the reprisals from the Tehran.

“It would certainly like to benefit from as much defense from the US and this is the only reason that could hold them until they receive a more positive signal from Trump,” Bolton said.

Hegseth authorized the voluntary departure of families and persons in the maintenance of members of American armed services in the Middle East. But the military personnel will not be withdrawn at this time.

The US announced on Thursday that governmental employees and their families in Israel “have travel restrictions outside” Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva until new orders.

“The situation remains complex and can change rapidly,” the US Embassy said in Jerusalem, in a press release.

Regional tensions cause concern in many capitals around the world, including in China, which has contributed to negotiating the nuclear agreement with Iran of 2015. Trump has retired from this agreement in 2018.

In a statement on the new dynamic, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Beijing “always believes that the Iranian nuclear problem should be solved by political and diplomatic means.”