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Amid a spiralling conflict between Israel and Iran, US President Donald Trump is weighing the option of launching a direct military strike on Iranian targets, with a decision expected within the next two weeks. The announcement, as reported by The Associated Press, came via White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who read Trump’s statement indicating that diplomatic options remain open.

“There is a substantial chance for renewed negotiations,” Leavitt said, quoting the President.

Fordo Facility Under Consideration As Possible Target

Among the options reportedly on Trump’s table is a possible strike on Iran’s highly fortified Fordo uranium enrichment site — a deeply buried facility designed to withstand most conventional attacks. The site’s underground location makes it one of the most heavily protected elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, accessible only to America’s specialised "bunker-buster" bombs capable of penetrating up to 200 feet of earth or concrete.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump kept his cards close to his chest. “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said, adding, “I have ideas as to what to do,” but prefers to make his final call “one second before it’s due.”

Casualties Mount As Both Sides Trade Blows

The conflict, which erupted with a series of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, has already claimed heavy casualties. A Washington-based Iranian human rights organisation estimates that at least 639 people have died in Iran, including 263 civilians, with over 1,300 others injured.

Israel, facing a barrage of retaliatory attacks, reports Iran has fired approximately 450 missiles and launched around 1,000 drones. While Israel's defence systems have intercepted most of these attacks, at least 24 Israeli citizens have been killed and hundreds injured.

The situation worsened further after Iranian missiles struck a major hospital in southern Israel, along with residential areas near Tel Aviv, injuring at least 240 people. Standing amid the debris outside Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence in Trump’s leadership. “I trust President Trump to do what’s best for America,” he said, noting that US support has already been significant.

High-Stakes Strikes On Medical And Nuclear Infrastructure

The attack on Soroka Medical Center triggered emergency protocols, with over 700 patients inside the facility at the time. Quick evacuation into underground wards minimised fatalities, though 80 patients and medical personnel sustained mostly minor injuries. Israel’s Home Front Command later disclosed that one of the Iranian ballistic missiles appeared to carry cluster munitions — weapons designed to spread bomblets over large areas. Tehran, however, denied deliberately targeting the hospital, claiming the strike aimed at a nearby military tech facility.

The Israeli air force has also escalated its offensive, targeting Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, once a key part of Iran’s plutonium production efforts. Iranian state television reported that the facility had been evacuated and posed “no radiation danger.” The Arak reactor had been partially dismantled under the 2015 nuclear deal, but its full deactivation remains uncertain following the US withdrawal from the accord in 2018. Israeli officials stated that the latest strike was intended to prevent any potential return to weapons-grade capabilities.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that it no longer has full access to monitor Iran’s heavy water production, raising fresh concerns about unchecked nuclear development.