Trump to decide in 2 weeks whether US will directly attack Iran

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether the US military will get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran given the “substantial chance” for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme, as the two sides attacked each other for the seventh day.

Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America's “bunker-buster” bombs. His statement was read out by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Earlier in the day, Israel's defence minister threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Iranian missiles crashed into a major hospital in southern Israel and hit residential buildings near Tel Aviv, wounding at least 240 people.

Israel's military “has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist", Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

As rescuers wheeled patients out of the smoldering hospital, Israeli warplanes launched their latest attack on Iran's nuclear programme.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would “do what's best for America”.

Speaking from the rubble and shattered glass around the Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, he added: “I can tell you that they're already helping a lot."

A new diplomatic initiative appeared to be underway as Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepared to travel on Friday to Geneva for meetings with the European Union's top diplomat and counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Britain's foreign secretary said he met at the White House with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the potential for a deal that could cool the conflict.

“A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,” Britain's David Lammy said in a social media post after Thursday's meeting.

The open conflict between Israel and Iran erupted last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 657 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,000 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.

Iran has retaliated by firing 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Most have been shot down by Israel's multi-tiered air defences, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and hundreds wounded.