2:48 pst. Live update. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-iran-conflict-news
Trump Considering Options Including Possible U.S. Strike Against Iran Amid Conflict With Israel
President says U.S. knows location of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Last Updated:
June 17, 2025 at 5:35 PM ET
President Trump is considering a range of options, including a potential U.S. strike against Iran, and met with top advisers in the Situation Room at the White House on Tuesday, administration officials said. Trump earlier said on social media that the U.S. knew the location of the country's leader but was choosing not to take any action, and then said, "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"
The president left a G-7 summit in Canada early, saying he wasn’t doing so to work on a cease-fire in the dayslong conflict between Israel and Iran but for something “much bigger than that.” Asked to clarify, Trump said he wanted “an end, a real end, not a cease-fire.”
The White House has said the U.S. isn’t joining Israel’s attacks on Iran, amid speculation fueled by recent military buildup in the region. A third U.S. Navy destroyer entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea to help defend Israel, and a second U.S. carrier strike group is heading toward the Arabian Sea.
While the Pentagon says the military buildup is purely defensive, it puts the U.S. on a firmer footing to join Israeli attacks on Iran should Trump decide to do that. Alternatively, it could be a tactic to pressure Iran to capitulate or make concessions.
Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire, and the death toll in Iran rose to above 450, according to a human-rights group. In Israel, 24 people have died as a result of Iranian strikes.
What else to know:
The U.N. atomic agency said an Israeli strike directly hit the underground halls at Iran’s largest enrichment facility, Natanz.
Germany’s chancellor said Israel was doing the “dirty work” for other countries by striking Iran’s nuclear sites.
Oil prices rose again as Vice President JD Vance said President Trump “may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment.”
The Israeli military said it killed one of Iran’s most senior military commanders in an airstrike in Tehran.
Tehran residents reported long lines at gas stations and traffic jams as people rushed to flee the city, anticipating more attacks.