SummaryTrump weighs deal, sanctions, or strikes on Iran as Saudis-US hit Iraqi militants.Tehran denies seeking talks, insists on Hormuz terms.Oil climbs as attacks on Saudi energy sites continue.Conflict widens with joint US-Saudi strikes in Iraq which killed at least 20.Will the U.S. invade Iran before 2027?
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Details of Trump-Netanyahu Meeting at Oval Finally EmergingAfter on Tuesday President Trump hosted both Zelensky and Netanyahu in the Oval Office there were no big press conferences or readouts given. But on Wednesday some key statements have begun to emerge concerning what was discussed, but at this point only offered via the Israeli side...To be expected, Iran and the nuclear question dominated the discussions, according to i24's Ariel Oseran, with Israeli officials describing a White House focused on three possible paths forward. "Trump is weighing three options: a nuclear deal, maintaining and intensifying the economic blockade, or renewed military strikes," one official said, adding, "We didn't tell Trump Israel's preference is a strike. Our preference is the outcome. The decision is ultimately his."...talk about stating the obvious. But Israeli still maintains that the situation is at tipping point inside Iran, which according to more independent 'realist' analysts seems highly dubious.Israeli officials argued that Tehran is under mounting internal strain. "Iran is under severe economic pressure" due to fuel and diesel shortages, roughly 90% inflation, and "the beginning of public protests." They added, "We discussed increasing pressure on Iran, both economically and kinetically."On Iran's leadership, officials said, "We know for certain Mujtaba is alive, but since Operation Rising Lion no one has seen him."Regarding Iran's military capabilities, they claimed, "Iran now has only 1,500–1,600 missiles left after we destroyed much of its production capability."Addressing the nuclear program, Israeli officials (somewhat surprisingly) assessed, "We currently do not assess that uranium enrichment is taking place at Pickaxe Mountain, and we have good intelligence on Iran's nuclear material." They also asserted, "Eliminating 29 nuclear scientists was our insistence. It removed a critical mass of knowledge from Iran's nuclear program." This comes just after Trump vowed to wipeout the highly fortified facility, which would be a tall order given that it's essentially under a mountain.Looking ahead, they warned, "If Iran tries to rebuild its nuclear program, we will strike the 'metastases' as well." Israeli officials also said they remain skeptical of diplomacy, telling reporters, "We told President Trump we have serious doubts about reaching a nuclear deal with Iran."As of yet, the White House has not offered a detailed readout of the Netanyahu discussion from the US point of view, however. Regional reports say some IRGC advisors were killed in the fresh US-Saudi operation in Iraq.Iran Again Denies Trump Claims it is Urging US TalksThe few days of calm that persisted over last weekend since Friday are already a thing of the past, as tit-for-tat serious attacks between the US and Iran return, and now involving the Saudis and proxy militants in Iraq.The fresh flare-up started as we reported when in the overnight and early hours of Wednesday (local) Iran launched several missiles on a US base in Jordan, with the Jordanian armed forces saying they intercepted five projectiles. Iran is framing this as new action due to US military activities enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.For many hours prior to that new Iranian assault, which was accompanied by launches out of Iraq on Saudi energy sites, international headlines claimed that mediators were getting close to restoring the defunct Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).As if to confirm that those headlines were nowhere close to reality, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has recalled President Trump's words claiming that Tehran was "dying for a negotiation"; but, said Gharibabadi, "We have sent no request for negotiation with the US during the past 16–17 days."Aftermath of strikes on the Saudi Aramco refinery in Jizan from days ago, via AFPThe Iranians have continued to insist that its own terms for strait management will be the end result of this war. "If the Strait of Hormuz returns to its previous state, our success in this war is not complete," the Iranian diplomat said. He said this will include Iran's right to charge fees to allow ships safe passage.Trump: "We'll Be Hitting Iran Hard" (Fox)As for the renewed battle, President Trump has newly warned in a statement to Fox News that "we'll be hitting Iran hard" in response to the new attacks on American targets in Jordan.The new expanded nature and scope of the war has seen Saudi Arabia jump directly in against Iran-backed Shia paramilitary groups in Iraq, as well as the Shia Houthis of Yemen.Oil continues to climb on the escalation headlines...Rare Major Saudi-US Joint Strikes on Iraqi MilitiasRare and major joint US-Saudi strikes on Iraq have killed at least 20 militants, and wounded 32 more, according to Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), as cited in Al Jazeera:In an earlier statement, the PMF – which is an umbrella group for Iraqi militias backed, trained and loyal to Iran, said the attacks represent a “highly dangerous escalation” and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and official security institutions.The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a self-proclaimed resistance armed group backed by Iran, denied any role in the attacks on Saudi Arabia. It said Saudi claims were “fabrications” and that “any foolish Saudi action will be met with a harsh response”.CENTCOM acknowledged that operation as a response to this weeks attacks on Saudi infrastructure, marking the first major US military action in the Middle East since last Friday when Trump first declared a pause after the 13 prior straight days of fighting. Trump had noted in the Fox comments that the Saudi and US attacks were coordinated with Iraq.Ironically this comes at a time the Iraqi government has sought to appease Washington by overseeing a voluntary disarming program of its Shia factions. It has remained an open question to what degree this will actually be carried out.Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry issued a statement saying the offensive was "in response to recent drone attacks" on the kingdom. During those attacks, the Saudi military "intercepted and destroyed several drones that attempted to target petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions…. launched from Iraqi territory and carried out by Iran-aligned terrorist militias." It added that "The Kingdom emphasizes that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces."Meanwhile Trump continues to talk about taking out Iran's highly fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility:⭕️ Trump Says Netanyahu Wants Him to “Stay Involved” in Iran Campaign
