Trump gives mysterious message

The US president has pushed back on a Wall Street Journal report claiming he privately approved attack plans for Iran but delayed a final go-ahead in hopes Iran would abandon its nuclear programme.

Writing on his Truth Social social media platform, Trump said, “The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!”

As of yesterday, Trump said he was still unsure about authorising a strike.

“We’ll see what happens. I’ve been asked about it by everybody, but I haven’t made a decision,” he told reporters.
 

Starmer urges Trump to step back on Iran

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to step back from military action against Iran. 

The prime minister says there was a "real risk of escalation" in the conflict, urging all sides to seek a diplomatic outcome.

He says there have previously been "several rounds of discussions with the US" and "that, to me, is the way to resolve this issue". 

His comments come as Foreign Secretary David Lammy takes the UK's plea for de-escalation to Washington, where he will meet Trump's top diplomat Marco Rubio.

Lammy and US Secretary of State Rubio will discuss the situation in the Middle East on Thursday evening.

Source: Al Jajeera, BBC