U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Israel to hold off on striking Iran, saying a nuclear deal with Tehran was within reach and warning that military action could derail the progress.
"I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen," Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday.
Trump added that he remains concerned a "massive conflict" could occur in the Middle East if Iran does not negotiate a deal, but that he continues to urge Tehran to make a deal.
Iran said it has built and will activate a third nuclear enrichment facility, ratcheting up tensions with the U.N. on Thursday, immediately after its atomic watchdog agency censured Iran for failing to comply with nonproliferation obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution," the Iranian Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization said in a joint statement.
