
President Donald Trump said Friday that he has not determined whether the United States will carry out a military strike against Iran, expressing dissatisfaction with Tehran’s conduct in negotiations while confirming that additional diplomatic discussions are scheduled.
“I haven’t made a decision on Iran. I am not happy with how they negotiate,” the President said, noting that further talks would take place on Friday.
Addressing the prospect of military action, Trump acknowledged the possibility but signaled reluctance. “I don’t want to, but sometimes you have to,” he said.
Trump reiterated his position that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons and criticized Tehran’s stance in the ongoing negotiations, saying that “Iran isn’t saying the golden words, ‘No nuclear weapon’” in talks with the US.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. Embassy in Israel announced that non-essential staff and family members would be evacuated because of “security risks.”
At the same time, the State Department revised its travel advisory and encouraged American citizens to consider departing Israel.
The latest developments come after U.S. and Iranian officials met Thursday in Geneva for another round of negotiations, as the United States continues a significant military buildup in the region surrounding Iran. No agreement was announced after the meeting, but Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said progress had been made and confirmed that “technical talks” would continue next week in Vienna, Austria. U.S. officials told Axios that the discussions were positive.