Amid growing fears of a war breaking out in the Middle East, the US military is reportedly ready to strike Iran as early as this weekend, though President Donald Trump has yet to take a final call on approving such actions.
The White House has been briefed that the military could be ready for an attack on Iran by the weekend, CNN reported. The latest development comes amid Washington significantly increasing its military presence in the Middle East, deploying air and naval assets. Follow Iran-US tensions live updates
Top national security officials of the Trump administration reportedly met in the White House situation room on Wednesday to discuss the situation. Additionally, the US President was also briefed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
However, it remains unclear whether Trump will make a decision on a strike against Iran by the weekend. “He is spending a lot of time thinking about this,” CNN reported, citing a source on this matter.
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Trump has been briefed on his military options against Tehran, with “all of them designed to maximise damage”, including a campaign to “kill scores of Iranian political and military leaders, with the goal of overthrowing the government”, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing an unnamed US official.
US military buildup in Middle East
The Trump administration ordered a second aircraft carrier to the region, with the USS Abraham Lincoln and its nearly 80 aircraft already positioned about 700 kilometres from the Iranian coast as of Sunday, according to satellite images.
The US Air Force is also reportedly repositioning its assets based in the United Kingdom, including refueling tankers and fighter jets, to the Middle East, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to flight-tracking data, several US military cargo planes have also transported equipment from the United States to Jordan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Iran is also seeking to display its military prowess, with its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps beginning a series of war games in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. Iranian politicians have also threatened to block the Strait, a strategically important choke point and passage for oil and gas.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on Wednesday that Iran would be “wise” to do a deal with the US amid escalating tensions between the two countries. She noted that recent talks in Geneva made some progress, but the two sides remained “far apart” on certain issues. “There was a little bit of progress made, but we are still far apart on some issues. We expect the Iranians to come back with the details in the next couple of weeks. The president will continue to watch how this plays out,” she told reporters.
Leavitt said that diplomacy is the first option for Trump before considering military action against Iran.
Iran does ‘not want war’
Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran was “drafting” a framework for future talks with the US.
Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, pressed that Tehran does “not want war” but suggested Tehran give in to his demands.
“From the day I took office, I have believed that war must be aside. But if they are going to try to impose their will on us, humiliate us and demand that we bow our heads at any cost, should we accept that?” he asked.
However, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright reiterated that Washington would prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons “one way or the other”.
“They’ve been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It’s entirely unacceptable,” Wright added.
(with inputs from agencies)