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The war between Israel and Iran intensified through the weekend, with Iranian missiles penetrating Israeli air defenses and Israel carrying out a brazen daytime assault on Tehran as world powers, including the United States and China, jockeyed for influence over the direction of the conflict in the days to come.
President Trump toed a cautious line. He said U.S. forces could become involved if the war spirals but appeared to try to distance the U.S. from Israel’s campaign. Several news organizations reported that Mr. Trump had privately vetoed an Israeli plot to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader.
The president warned Iran not to strike American interests in retaliation for Israel’s attacks. He also expressed openness to a constructive role for Russian President Vladimir Putin in defusing the conflict.
On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held separate phone calls with Israeli and Iranian officials. Beijing, which has emerged as a key strategic partner of Iran in recent years and leads the world in Iranian oil purchases, has sharply criticized Israel’s attack.
A statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Mr. Wang told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that China would support Iran in “safeguarding its national sovereignty, defending its legitimate rights and interests, and ensuring the safety of its people.”
“Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities have set a dangerous precedent with potentially catastrophic consequences,” Mr. Wang said. He suggested that the dynamics unfolding in the Middle East could erupt into a global conflict.
Some American national security circles have a consensus that China, Russia and North Korea would back Tehran against the U.S., Israel and other Western allies should the situation spiral into a world war.
Mr. Trump said on social media at 12:32 a.m. Sunday that “the U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight.”
“If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,” the president wrote. “However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!”
Nuclear talks between U.S. and Iranian officials scheduled for Sunday were canceled as Israel launched airstrikes across Iran for a third day. Some Iranian missiles dodged air defenses and hit buildings in the heart of Israel.
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said Sunday that Israel’s attacks had not reached the desired effect.
“We’ve set them back dramatically, but not enough,” Mr. Leiter told ABC’s “This Week.” “And that’s why this series of strikes is not going to end today or tomorrow but only at a period of time, which may take weeks, when we are absolutely certain that the nuclear infrastructure with the intention of weaponizing and threatening Israel is terminated.”
Israel has killed top generals and nuclear scientists. It said Iran’s attacks had killed 13 people and wounded more than 360. Israeli figures showed that 22 of the more than 270 missiles Iran had fired made an impact.
Asked about the risks of escalation, Mr. Leiter told ABC that his country is fighting a war of survival, with victory being the only acceptable outcome. “The objective is not to contain the war,” he said. “The objective is to win the war.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s actions are necessary for self-preservation. He said he is in constant contact with Mr. Trump.
“Is regime change part of the effort here?” asked Fox News’ Bret Baier.
“It could certainly be the result because the Iran regime is very weak,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “I think it’s basically left with two things: Its plans to have atomic bombs and ballistic missiles. That’s basically what Iran has; they certainly don’t have the people.”
Later on Sunday morning, Mr. Trump issued another social media post urging Israel and Iran to heed calls for peace. “We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran!” the president said on Truth Social. “Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that’s OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!”
U.S. participation in the conflict likely hinges on whether Iran or its proxy militias in Iraq or Yemen attempt to strike U.S. military or diplomatic outposts in the region.
Sen. Adam B. Schiff, California Democrat, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “if Iran attacks the United States when the administration has made it very clear that we have not been part of the offensive operations against Iran … then we should respond by defending ourselves.”
Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican and chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, called for a review of security details for U.S. officials whom the Justice Department has identified as Iranian targets.
“We should probably revisit the threat that all persons face — remember, President Trump faced assassination threats from Iran as well — in this moment of tension, to ensure that no one who worked for President Trump in the first term or works for him now could be the target of Iranian agents,” Mr. Cotton told CBS News.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a Republican who favors a noninterventionist foreign policy, praised Mr. Trump’s calls for peace.
“One of the things I like about President Trump is he has shown restraint,” Mr. Paul told NBC. “And so I think his instincts are to not be involved in this war, but there will be a lot of pressure from Lindsey Graham and others to get involved in this war. And I hope that his instincts will prevail.”
Other Western leaders are expected to call for an immediate de-escalation during a Group of Seven summit of the world’s wealthiest democracies this week in Canada.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials are calling on the West to embrace their view of Iran as an enemy whose leaders have been threatening the Jewish state for decades.
Mr. Leiter said Israel did not want to underestimate the threat from Iran as people miscalculated the threat from Nazi Germany in the 20th century.
“Now we’ve got a crazed new Hitler running around the Middle East saying he’s going to destroy us. We have to take him at face value. That’s his intention,” Mr. Leiter told ABC. “He says it every day. He’s got a concrete plan to destroy us. This isn’t a joke. This is very serious for us. It’s existential.”
Iran appeared to be aware that Israeli strikes would continue. State television said metro stations and mosques would serve as bomb shelters starting Sunday night.
Mr. Araghchi said that if the Israeli strikes on Iran end, then “our responses will also stop.”
As the death toll grew, Iran sought to pressure the U.S.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the U.S. for its support of Israel and said Tehran’s responses would be more severe if Israeli attacks continued.
He said Israel is “not capable of any action without the permission of the U.S.” and that Washington was providing direct support.
The damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities is under review. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed extensive damage at Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. Israel also struck a nuclear research facility at Isfahan.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it found no sign of increased radiation at Natanz or Isfahan.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.
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