'I may do, I may not': Trump keeps world waiting on US joining war

Iran warns of 'irreparable damage' if Washington sends support to Israel

- Emma Graham-Harrison Jerusalem Dan Sabbagh

Donald Trump said yesterday he had not decided whether to take his country into Israel's new war as Iran's supreme leader said the US would face "irreparable damage" if it did deploy its military to attack.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel had made a "huge mistake" by launching the war, in his first comments since Friday. "The Americans should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," he said in a statement read out by a presenter on state TV.

Tehran was preparing missiles and other equipment to strike US bases in the region if Washington joined the war, the New York Times reported, citing US intelligence officials.

Hours later, Trump said Iranian officials had reached out to request a meeting and proposed a visit to the White House.

He told reporters on the White House lawn that he felt "it's very late to be talking" but he had not yet made a final decision about entering the war. "I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said.

That lack of clarity about what comes next may extend to the president himself, who is still in dealmaking mode, according to one ally.

The US is understood to want to keep all its options open to exert maximum pressure on Tehran.

It is moving air tankers for midair refuelling to Spain and Greece, where they could be used to supply B-2 bombers on a long run from the Whiteman airbase in Missouri to Iran.

It is understood that no request has been put to the UK to use the Diego Garcia airbase in the Indian Ocean for a B-2 bombing run or the Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus for refuelling aircraft, although the latter is considered likely.