Middle East Crisis Reactions to Israel-Iran

Trump: Israel is doing well – will be hard to stop

It would be “very difficult” for the US to stop Israel from carrying out more attacks on Iran, says US President Donald Trump according to CNN. Trump claims that such a request would be difficult to get through because Israel is “doing well” in the war

– You could say that Iran is doing worse, and then it is a bit difficult.

Trump still hopes for a diplomatic solution, but says that the European countries will not be of any help when it comes to negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

EU sources: US ready for talks with Iran

The US is ready for direct talks with Iran – despite considering an attack on the country. This was told by European foreign ministers to their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, during today's meeting in Geneva, Reuters reports.

– The Iranians cannot talk to the Americans, but we can. We will tell them [Iran, ed. note] to come back to the negotiating table before we reach a worst-case scenario, a source told Reuters.

At the same time, an Iranian source said they were ready to discuss restrictions on the country's uranium enrichment. But a proposal that would mean Iran would not be allowed to enrich uranium at all would be rejected.

- Especially now that Israel is attacking us, the person told the news agency.

Analysis: Trump's deadline may just be a ploy

Donald Trump's statement that a decision on an American attack on Iran could take up to two weeks poses a dilemma for Israel, writes Patrick Kingsley in an analysis in the Washington Post.

Israel's air defenses are weakening the longer the country waits for American help to knock out the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow, writes Kingsley, pointing out that the Israeli stockpiles are starting to run out the more Iran fires missiles at them.

He writes that Israel could try to knock out the facility on its own, something that analysts say cannot happen without American ammunition.

The Telegraph's Adrian Blomfield points out several possible reasons why Donald Trump said that a decision would be made within two weeks. Among these are that the Maga movement is divided and that he actually wants to give diplomacy a chance.

It should also not be ruled out that he wants to feint Iran, and that he wants to surprise them long before the deadline, Blomfield writes.

"With a president as unpredictable as Trump, anything is possible."