THE U.S. military has moved some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
Reuters reported on Thursday the moves come as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing whether the United States would join Israel's bombardment of Iran's nuclear and missile sites, as residents fled its capital on the sixth day of the air assault.
US Senate Democrats say Trump needs Congress approval for war while Netanyahu says Israel 'progressing step by step' towards eliminating Iranian nuclear, missile threats
Escalation between Iran and Israel deepens
Iran and Israel exchanged further air strikes on Thursday, marking a dangerous intensification in what has become the most severe confrontation between the two regional rivals to date.
A week of sustained Israeli strikes has reportedly killed hundreds in Iran, including members of its senior military command, and inflicted significant damage on nuclear infrastructure. In response, Iran launched a volley of missiles that struck several civilian areas in Israel, killing at least 24 people, according to Israeli authorities.
Speaking outside the White House on Wednesday, Trump said only: “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”
In later remarks, he claimed that Iranian officials had requested a meeting in Washington. “We may do that,” Trump said, adding, “It’s a little late.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, making his first public address since Friday via a televised speech, warned the United States against intervention.
“Any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,” he said. “The Iranian nation will not surrender.”
While Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, the International Atomic Energy Agency last week stated that Tehran had breached its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in two decades.
European efforts to de-escalate the crisis continue, with foreign ministers from Germany, France and Britain expected to meet their Iranian counterpart in Geneva on Friday to encourage a return to the negotiating table, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.
Meanwhile, the escalating violence has sparked a civilian exodus from Tehran. Arezou, a 31-year-old resident who fled to Lavasan, told Reuters: “My friend’s house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians. Why are we paying the price for the regime’s decision to pursue a nuclear programme?”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement released on Wednesday, confirmed the ongoing nature of the strikes. “We are hitting the nuclear sites, the missiles, the headquarters, the symbols of the regime,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to Trump, “a great friend of the state of Israel,” stating the two remain in “continuous contact.”
Trump has oscillated between supporting a diplomatic resolution and musing online about assassinating Khamenei. “We are progressing step by step,” said Netanyahu of Israel’s offensive, which has seen unprecedented success in penetrating Iranian air defences.
Russia has urged restraint. President Vladimir Putin said, when asked about the possibility of an Israeli-US operation targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader: “I do not even want to discuss this possibility. I do not want to.” He stressed that a peaceful outcome must be sought that respects both Iran’s right to civilian nuclear energy and Israel’s security.
On Thursday, Israeli cities including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were rocked by explosions following Iranian missile launches. The Israeli military confirmed hits on civilian sites, including a hospital. Simultaneously, Iranian media reported Israeli drone attacks near the Khondab heavy water nuclear facility, with air defences intercepting targets over Tehran.
Iran also claimed it had arrested 18 “enemy agents” allegedly building drones for Israeli use in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
While Israel is believed to possess nuclear weapons, it remains outside the international Non-Proliferation Treaty and does not publicly acknowledge its nuclear capabilities.
Iranian reports cite over 224 fatalities from Israeli attacks, mostly civilians, with no updated toll in recent days. The US-based HRANA agency put the figure at 639 dead and 1,329 injured as of 18 June, though Reuters has not independently verified those figures.
As the death toll rises on both sides, US domestic political pressure mounts. Senior Senate Democrats have urged Trump to pursue diplomacy and abide by legal requirements for war powers.
“We are alarmed by the Trump administration’s failure to provide answers to fundamental questions,” they said in a joint statement. “By law, the president must consult Congress and seek authorisation if he is considering taking the country to war. He owes Congress and the American people a strategy for US engagement in the region.” - June 19, 2025
