President Trump returned to Washington on Tuesday to deal with the war between Iran and Israel, as the two sides exchanged deadly fire for a fifth day and Israeli officials pressed the United States to join its military campaign against Tehran.

Initially planned to last up to three weeks, according to Israeli assessments, US involvement could dramatically shorten the conflict’s duration.

Israel and Iran launched a new round of attacks as the conflict between the two heavily armed rivals enters its fifth day.

Israel’s campaign, militarily and rhetorically, has quickly evolved beyond its initial targets. Over the weekend, it hit Iran’s energy facilities, including a gas depot and an oil refinery, triggering huge fires and spewing smoke across the sprawling capital of about ten million people.

"Israel is being assisted this way or that way by some Iranians," ex-Israeli National Security chief Giora Eiland told Newsweek.

Israel had prepared for the possibility that the war could last for weeks, but that timeline may now be shortened.

Iran and Israel targeted each other with airstrikes early on Saturday after Israel launched its biggest-ever offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

President Donald Trump is abruptly leaving the Group of Seven summit, departing a day early Monday as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies and the U_S_ leader has declared that Tehran should be evacuated “immediately.