According to informed sources, senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of launching an attack on Iran in the coming days, indicating that Washington is building up infrastructure for a direct confrontation with Tehran.
People familiar with the matter said the situation is still evolving and could change. Because the conversations were private, these people requested anonymity. Some of them pointed out that they plan to go on strike over the weekend. One of them said that top leaders of some federal agencies have also begun to prepare for the attack.
For several days, President Donald Trump has been openly considering calling for such strikes against Iran, which has been at war with Israel for nearly a week.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he “has his own ideas about what to do” and, given the rapidly changing situation in the Middle East, he tends to “make the final decision at the last second before the deadline.”
A few hours ago, when asked if he was about to attack Iran, Trump said, “I might do it, or I might not.”
A White House official said that all options were on the table.
After news of the preparatory work spread, Asian stock markets continued their downward trend, with the regional stock index falling by 0.7%.
The president’s open attitude towards war is contrary to his public remarks a week ago, when Trump urged reaching a nuclear disarmament agreement with Iran through diplomatic negotiations.
Waiting a few days before launching the attack will give Iranian leaders more opportunities to show Trump that they are willing to give up some of their uranium enrichment capabilities to prevent the US attack.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said earlier on Wednesday on social media that Iran remains “committed to diplomacy” and has never sought and will never seek nuclear weapons.
According to informed sources, the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany plan to hold nuclear talks with the Iranian foreign minister in Geneva on Friday.
Earlier: Trump’s war rhetoric on Iran tests his relationship with “Make America Great Again” supporters
In recent days, Trump’s remarks have undergone a major shift as allies have been constantly emphasizing to him that Iran is on the verge of obtaining nuclear weapons. According to informed sources, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has been a key figure in urging the president to consider military action. Informed sources say that Trump has had multiple phone calls with Graham.
“He gave them a diplomatic opportunity. I think they miscalculated,” Graham said Wednesday when talking about Iran. “The sooner we end this threat to humanity, the better.”
Graham said he spoke with Trump on Tuesday and that the president was “very focused, very calm” and “serious” when expressing his desire that Iran not have nuclear weapons.
For many years, Trump has been calling on the United States not to get involved in foreign conflicts, and during his campaign, he stated that he would prevent another world war and focus on domestic issues.
Trump said that in Tuesday’s phone call, he encouraged Benjamin Netanyahu to “continue” the offensive operation and added that he did not hint to the Israeli prime minister that the US military would participate in the attack.
According to the Israeli government, since Israel launched its attack, Iran has fired 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, causing 24 deaths and over 800 injuries. At least 224 Iranians have been killed in Israel’s attacks.
Meanwhile, there is no sign of Israel’s offensive easing. The military has warned Iranian civilians to evacuate the Arak-Khondab region, which is a strategically significant area in central Iran and home to some of Iran’s most crucial nuclear infrastructure, including the Arak heavy water reactor.
The Arak nuclear power plant has long been a focus of international attention because of its potential role in plutonium production. If reprocessing capabilities can be developed, the plutonium could be used in the production of future nuclear weapons.
The Israeli military wrote in a notice posted in Persian on its social media account: “Your presence in these areas will put your lives in danger,” which is similar to other notices before the air strikes.
