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President Donald Trump says he hasn't decided yet if the U.S. will join Israel in bombing Iranian nuclear sites.

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He also said Tehran should have negotiated a deal over its nuclear program sooner.

This comes as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected U.S. calls for unconditional surrender and warned that any U.S. military intervention would bring irreparable consequences.

A cryptic answer from Donald Trump when asked whether the U.S. would get involved in Israel's conflict with Iran.

You don't know that I'm going to even do it.

I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.

I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate.

And I said, why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?

Just a day earlier, Trump had demanded Tehran's unconditional surrender.

But that was firmly rejected by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who struck a defiant tone.

America getting involved in this would be 100 percent to its detriment.

The damage it would suffer would be much greater than what Iran may suffer.

The damage to America, if it gets involved militarily, would undoubtedly be irreparable damage.

Israel meanwhile continues to launch strikes on targets across Iran, including on the capital, where large plumes of smoke could be seen on Wednesday.

Streets in Tehran appeared empty, with many residents fleeing since Israel launched its attacks six days ago.

Others have no choice but to stay, like this man who wanted us to conceal his identity.

Everyone I have spoken to, in taxis, on the street, they're scared, angry, trapped.

Whoever says Iranians are happy about this, they're lying.

Like Iranians, Israelis are also fearful of the next round of attacks.

Many are spending another night in bomb shelters, as Iran launches more ballistic missiles at Israeli towns and cities.

Despite Israel's extensive air defences, several Iranian missiles could not be intercepted and hit residential areas, causing casualties and major damage.

With Israel and Iran threatening more devastation, civilians in both countries are bracing for what's to come.

DW correspondent Misha Komodovsky joins me now from Washington DC.

Misha, can you tell us more about where the Trump administration stands on Iran and what options are on the table?

Well, the answer here is still unfolding, but we're starting to get a clearer picture, even though it remains quite ambiguous.

President Trump held a National Security Council meeting on Iran, his second, in just two days, and according to the Wall Street Journal, citing three unnamed sources, he presumably told advisers he had approved strike plans, but was holding off to see if Iran backs down from its nuclear program.

We couldn't confirm those reports, and before this NSC meeting, President Trump said he hasn't decided whether the U.S. will get directly involved in the conflict, and warned that Iran must not get nuclear weapons.

He claimed Iranian officials want to meet with him at the White House, though he noted it may be hard for them to leave the country due to Israeli bombings.

There have been no confirmation from Iran on this matter, and President Trump also said Iranian leadership could fall.

We're not expecting to hear from President Trump tonight.

The White House has just called a lid, which means there will be no more public appearances.

Right, and we know that for the U.S. to get involved in a kind of proper war situation, it has to get Congress' approval.

Do we know if the White House has the backing of Congress for this conflict?

Well, when it comes to Congressional support, the picture gets complicated.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is trying to block President Trump from sending troops to war with Iran without their approval.

Republican Thomas Macy and some Democrats introduced resolutions requiring a Congressional vote before any attack.

They say only Congress can declare wars, and Trump's support for Israel's attack on Iran is dividing his MAGA supporters.

Some right-wing voices, like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon, warn against U.S. involvement, comparing it to the Iraq war, and President Trump says his allies agree that Iran can't have nuclear weapons, even if they don't want to see any war looming.

DW correspondent Misha Komodowski, thank you for that update.