Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Feb 16: US President Donald Trump has indicated he would support Israeli military strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile programme if ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran fail, according to US media reports.
The remarks were reportedly made during Trump’s December meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, as cited by CBS News, which referenced sources familiar with the discussions.
US defence and intelligence officials have also examined possible forms of American support in the event of Israeli operations targeting Iran’s missile infrastructure. These discussions have included options such as aerial refuelling for Israeli fighter jets and diplomatic efforts to secure overflight permissions from regional countries.
However, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have publicly stated they would not permit their airspace to be used for strikes against Iran, nor for Iranian retaliation against other states.
Amid the heightened rhetoric, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking during a visit to Slovakia, stressed his preference for resolving tensions with Iran through diplomatic channels rather than military confrontation.
A second round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations is scheduled to take place in Geneva on Tuesday. Rubio confirmed that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will represent Washington at the talks.
The upcoming meeting follows an initial round held in Muscat, Oman, on February 6, which both sides described as a constructive beginning but produced no major breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has travelled to Geneva to lead what Tehran described as a “diplomatic and specialised” delegation. During his visit, Araghchi is expected to meet Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, underscoring the fragile yet active diplomatic push to prevent further escalation.