Middle East
Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Sunday.
There’s a throughline between President Donald Trump’s enabling of Israel’s increasingly bloody, risky offensive against Iran and the records of past U.S. presidents, particularly George W. Bush and Joe Biden.
Israel unleashed airstrikes across Iran for a third day and threatened even greater force as some Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses to strike buildings in the heart of the country.
The U.S. has unique power to force restraint, but with the offensive on its third day and the death toll rising, there is little sign Trump will wield his leverage.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
Israel’s main international airport said Saturday it will remain closed until further notice.
In Tehran, Iranian state TV reported that around 60 people, including 20 children, had been killed in an attack on a housing complex.
Trump called the Israeli strikes "excellent" and "very successful" in a series of media interviews on Friday,
The army said dozens of missiles were launched.
Israel's dramatic ongoing strikes against Iran present a perilous test for a U.S. foreign policy team that is understaffed and riven by factional disputes.
"Iran still has options here," retired Adm. James Stavridis said.