New Delhi, Jun 17: As hostilities between Israel and Iran intensify, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce Wednesday said that President Donald Trump remains firm in his position that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Addressing reporters at a press briefing, Bruce announced the formation of a dedicated Middle East task force within the State Department.
The unit is tasked with coordinating support for US citizens and diplomatic missions in the region.
She reiterated the department’s travel advisory, urging Americans to avoid travel to Israel, Iraq, and Iran given the deteriorating security situation.
“The task force includes personnel actively responding to calls from American citizens across the globe and ensuring they receive the assistance they need,” Bruce said.
Noting the sensitivity of the situation, she cautioned that she would be limited in the details she could provide during the briefing.
“There will be less that I can answer today because of the circumstances we’re dealing with around the world,” she said.
When asked to clarify President Trump’s recent remarks expressing a desire for a “real end” to the Iran-Israel conflict. “We can take the president at his word,” Bruce responded. However, she declined to elaborate on the broader implications of Trump’s statement. “I’m not going to speculate on what that ultimately means. That’s for the president to decide—he is the sole guiding authority on what actions will follow from here,” she added.
