Israel and Arab States have urged the U.S. to delay any potential military action against Iran, warning that such a move could undermine ongoing protests inside the country, according to NBC News.
The U.S. broadcaster reported that Israeli officials conveyed their concerns to President Donald Trump’s administration, saying that the U.S. should wait until the Iranian regime is “even more strained”.
According to NBC News, Israel told the White House it supports regime change in Iran and backs U.S. efforts aimed at facilitating it. However, Israeli officials reportedly believe that military action by Washington could shift focus away from domestic discontent and instead allow Iranian authorities to frame unrest as the result of foreign aggression.
Israeli officials were said to have argued that protests inside Iran have created a rare opportunity for internal pressure to build without direct foreign involvement.
Israel has suggested alternative approaches to increase pressure on Tehran. NBC News said these included improving internet access to help protesters communicate and organise, and also tightening economic sanctions.
President Trump has said he has not yet decided what course of action the U.S. will take. He said the White House was still weighing its options and had not made a final decision on whether to pursue military measures against Iran.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday, Trump said Iran was "on my mind" and that he expected an update on the situation soon.
“When I see the kind of death that is happening over there. We think. So, we're going to get some accurate numbers. I'll have them in about 20 minutes, we'll get some accurate numbers as to what's happening with regard to the killing. The killing looks like it's significant, but we don't know yet for certain. I'll know within 20 minutes, so… And we’ll act accordingly.”
Trump said that helping Iranian protesters involved economic actions, among other steps. He added that he would cancel all meetings with Iranian officials until bloodshed during the protests comes to an end.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera on Monday that he had continued to communicate with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during the protests and Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington.
However, direct communications between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Witkoff have been suspended, a senior official told Reuters on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump's threats to intervene amid nationwide protests in Iran.
The senior official added that U.S. threats undermine diplomatic efforts and that potential meetings between the two officials to find a diplomatic solution to a decades-long nuclear dispute have been cancelled.
More than 2,571 people have now been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday that his government would begin legal proceedings to remove President Tamás Sulyok if he contin...
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (1 June) that he held productive discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, through intermediaries, with the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. He expressed optimism that a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon could hold despite hostilities.
The United Nations (UN) added Israel and Russia to a blacklist of parties suspected of committing conflict-related sexual violence on Friday (29 May). The move prompted Israel to announce it would sever ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly agreed an outline deal to extend their fragile ceasefire for 60 days, although the agreement still requires President Donald Trump’s approval and previous breakthroughs have failed to hold.
The U.N. human rights office said Israeli forces may be committing unlawful killings near the military armistice line in Gaza, after data showed that roughly a third of verified Palestinian deaths since the October truce occurred close to the boundary area.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held talks with Lebanese President and Israeli Prime Minister on efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Lebanon. According to a U.S. official, Washington has proposed a plan aimed at achieving a gradual de-escalation of hostilities.
Unsealed records from the U.S. Department of Justice have renewed scrutiny of lawyer Robert Amsterdam after documents revealed communications between his law firm and Jeffrey Epstein's office. The disclosures have drawn attention because of Amsterdam's prominent role in Armenia.
The United States has moved to close a regulatory gap that may have allowed advanced AI chips to reach Chinese-linked firms overseas despite export restrictions.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday that his government would begin legal proceedings to remove President Tamás Sulyok if he continues to reject calls to resign.
Hundreds of people were left homeless after a massive fire in Indonesia's capital Jakarta affected more than 300 houses, according to state-run media on Tuesday.
Competing narratives continue to shape perceptions of the war in Ukraine, with Russian leadership suggesting a possible end phase while Ukrainian officials warn of renewed large-scale attacks and ongoing escalation risks.
Russian drones and missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities early on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and wounding more than 100, authorities said, following days of warnings about Moscow's plans for a major assault.
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