ANTI-WAR campaigners have hit back at Donald Trump after the US president said today that his nation might join forces with Israel in attacking Iran. 

Asked whether the US would take part in Israeli strikes, Mr Trump said: “I may do it, I may not do it.

“Nobody knows what I want to do. But I can say this: Iran’s got a lot of trouble and wants to negotiate.”

He also repeated his recent claims that Iran should have been more willing to negotiate before Israel launched its surprise attack on Friday.

While initially distancing himself from the escalation, Mr Trump has since hinted at deeper US involvement, saying he wants something “much bigger” than a ceasefire. 

The US has also deployed additional aircraft and warships to the region.

Today, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that US involvement would bring “irreparable harm” and insisted that Iran would not surrender.

Meanwhile, Israel struck two Iranian centrifuge production sites overnight, according to the UN nuclear watchdog. 

Iran responded by targeting Israel with a hypersonic missile.

In Britain, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told MPs that the government agreed with President Trump that Iran “must never have a nuclear weapon” but underlined a strong preference for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

She had been challenged by Liberal Democrat leader Daisy Cooper to pledge that ministers would not follow Labour’s 2003 example of engaging in an illegal attack on Iraq.

“We've been consistent in urging Iran to engage in the diplomatic process and work with the United States, and we continue to support that diplomatic approach,” Ms Rayner said.

A Downing Street spokesman later elaborated: “De-escalation is the right outcome for the Middle East — we are conscious, as the PM has said, that this has an impact on the lives of people in the United Kingdom.

“That is why the Prime Minister’s been focused in recent days at the G7 on de-escalation and we will continue to be focused on de-escalation.”

Stop The War convener Lindsey German told the Morning Star that Mr Trump has “absolutely no business bombing or attacking the country in any way.”

“To do so would be a completely illegal war crime which will cause misery to millions and drive the world into the worst Middle East war ever,” she said.

“The claims that Israel is simply defending itself against the attacks by Iran over the last week are completely false. 

“We know from the past 20 months of Israel’s assault on Gaza they’re not defending themselves, they’re engaged in an aggressive and genocidal war, and they intend the same for Iran.”

Ms German said that this Saturday’s national demonstration for Palestine is “one of the most important ever,” saying: “If we want to stop a big war in the Middle East, we must be there on London’s streets.”

Protesters will march from Russell Square to Whitehall at 12pm on Saturday.

A joint statement by the Tudeh Party of Iran and the Communist Party of Israel has strongly condemned the “continuous Israeli aggression" and called Israel’s latest strike a "direct violation of international law.”

“We demand an immediate halt to all military action resulting in significant civilian casualties on both sides,” it said. 

It condemned “the crimes committed by the right-wing reactionary government of Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza and the West Bank,” saying that support from the US, Britain and EU had resulted in over 55,000 Palestinian deaths, including more than 18,000 children. 

“Israel and the US — after Iraq, Libya and Syria — are now determined to undermine Iranian sovereignty to subjugate the people’s will and their right to self-determination.”

The statement also rejected all nuclear armament in the region, calling instead for the demilitarisation of the Middle East and for all states — including Israel — to sign a nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In response to Mr Trump, Mr Khamenei called his statements “threatening and absurd,” saying: “Wise individuals who know Iran, its people, and its history never speak to this nation with the language of threats, because the Iranian nation is not one to surrender to anyone.

“Americans should know that any military involvement by the US will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to them.”

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei warned that US intervention would risk “all-out war.”

Another Iranian official said that Iran would continue enriching uranium for peaceful purposes, appearing to reject Mr Trump’s demand to abandon its nuclear programme.

Israel said that its latest strikes targeted a facility producing uranium centrifuges and another making missile components. It also reported intercepting 10 missiles overnight and said its forces struck missile storage sites and a loaded launcher in western Iran.

According to the UN nuclear watchdog, the strikes hit two centrifuge production facilities in and near Tehran.

Israeli attacks have killed top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group reported that at least 585 people killed, including 239 civilians, and more than 1,300 wounded.

Iran has launched about 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in retaliation, killing at least 24 people and injuring hundreds in Israel. Some missiles hit apartment blocks in central Israel, causing heavy damage and repeated air raid sirens.

Iran’s missile fire has declined as the conflict continues. Though Iran has not explained the drop, Israel has targeted missile launchers and related infrastructure.

Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based group, said that it had identified 239 civilian deaths and 126 security personnel among those killed in Israeli strikes.