Live updates: Israel seeks retribution for hospital strike; Trump knocks report that he's OK'd attack plan
President Trump pushed back Thursday on reports he had given a green light to an Iran attack plan. “The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!” Trump posted on Truth Social, referencing a late Wednesday story that indicated he had approved plans.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran would pay for targeting a civilian area of southern Israel on Thursday, with a missile hitting a hospital in Beersheba. No serious injuries were caused by the strike, but there was "extensive" damage.
Israel "will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran," Netanyahu wrote on social platform X. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "absolutely should not continue to exist."
President Trump has met with his top advisers this week as he considers whether to bring the U.S. more fully into the fight.
In the U.S., Thursday is a federal holiday marking Juneteenth. Former President Biden, who designated the day on the federal calendar, is expected to join in the celebrations in Galveston, Texas, later in the day.
The Trump White House, however, is working, with a press briefing scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT.
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Follow along today for updates.