 "President Donald Trump speaks as a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House, on Wednesday. AP")
US President Donald Trump has told his top aides that he has approved a plan to strike Iran but has not yet given the final order, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trump stated that he wants to see whether Iran will halt its nuclear programme before taking further action.
One possible US target is Iran’s Fordow enrichment facility, a heavily fortified site built deep underground in the mountains. Experts say only extremely powerful bombs would be capable of destroying it.
When asked whether he had decided to launch an attack, Trump said, “I may do it, I may not.” He added, “The next week is going to be very big – maybe even sooner.” He also reiterated that Iran must completely abandon its nuclear ambitions without any conditions.
Trump claimed Iran was just weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon before Israel launched its strikes last week. Now, he says, he wants total victory — not a ceasefire.
Reaffirming his hardline stance against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s nuclear ambitions, Trump said, “We’re not looking for a ceasefire. We’re looking for total and complete victory. And victory means no nuclear weapon. That’s it.”
Khamenei warns US against intervention
In a recorded speech on Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that “any US military intervention” would come at a high cost and declared, “The Iranian nation will not surrender.”
Trump dismissed the warning, responding with “good luck." “Nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said. “Unconditional surrender – that means I’ve had it.”
Meanwhile, Israel has launched fresh attacks on Iranian missile sites and nuclear facilities. In response, Iran claimed to have fired hypersonic missiles, though no serious damage was reported in Israel.