US military is preparing for a possible attack on Iran, although Trump has not yet made a decision
According to several US media outlets, the White House has been informed that the armed forces would be ready for an offensive as early as this weekend
The U.S. military is prepared to attack Iran this weekend, although President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on whether to authorize such actions, CNN and The New York Times reported Thursday. The White House has been informed that the military could be ready for a strike, following a significant increase in air and naval assets in the Middle East in recent days, CNN said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
However, a source cautioned that Trump has privately argued both for and against military action and has consulted with advisors and allies about the best course of action. Senior national security officials met at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Iran, according to a person familiar with the meeting.
Trump was also briefed on Wednesday by special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, about indirect talks with Iran held the previous day. At the time, it was unclear whether the U.S. president would make a decision before the weekend, the network reports. “He’s spending a lot of time thinking about this,” a source said.
According to The New York Times, the Israeli armed forces have also stepped up their preparations for a possible war, two Israeli defense sources told the newspaper, and is also preparing for a possible joint attack with the United States.
Israel’s security cabinet plans to meet on Sunday, according to sources, who describe the potential operation in Iran as a multi-day attack aimed at forcing the country to make further concessions on its nuclear program in negotiations.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which was part of the Caribbean fleet during the operation against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was approaching the Strait of Gibraltar on Wednesday to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, already stationed in Middle Eastern waters, according to the Times.
The U.S. military reinforcement also includes dozens of refueling tankers, more than 50 additional fighter jets and two carrier strike groups, along with their destroyers, cruisers, and submarines, U.S. officials told the newspaper.
CBS News, citing several officials as sources, has also reported that Trump is considering possible attacks against Iran in the coming days. The Pentagon has begun temporarily relocating some of its personnel out of the Middle East, primarily to Europe and the United States, as a preventative measure against potential Iranian actions or counterattacks, CBS reports.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated at a press conference on Wednesday that there are “many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran,” though she affirmed that diplomacy remains the president’s first choice. The spokesperson declined to comment on whether a potential attack would be coordinated with Israel, a country with which the administration maintains close security consultations.
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