the US president was considering joining Israeli strikes on Iran, but British Prime Minister Keir Starmer denied this, saying he had "heard nothing" from Trump indicating that Washington was prepared to intervene.
Meanwhile, three US officials told Reuters that the United States is "deploying more fighter jets to the Middle East and expanding the deployment of other warplanes."
A White House official also said that Trump spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.
"Call for Surrender"
On Tuesday, Trump published a series of strongly worded posts against Iran, calling on it to surrender.
The US president said on his Truth Social platform that the location of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is known, but "we will not eliminate him, at least not yet," adding, "Our patience is running out."
Minutes later, Trump, writing in a new post, called on Iran to "unconditionally surrender."
The region has been witnessing a military escalation since dawn last Friday, with Israel, backed by the United States, launching military operations targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, missile bases, and military leaders and scientists. These operations have resulted in the deaths of 224 people and the injury of 1,277 others. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes, killing approximately 24 people and wounding hundreds more.
The risk of an escalating conflict is growing, with Western and Israeli reports indicating the possibility of the United States joining Israel in an attack on Iran. This comes amid statements by US President Donald Trump calling on Tehran to surrender unconditionally and hinting at the possibility of targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
