Trump ready to attack Iran? Plan approved, officials preparing for military strike soon, says report

As US President Donald Trump mulled plans to attack Iran amid a crisis in West Asia, reports are emerging that senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days. On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal published an exclusive which revealed that US President Donald Trump approved attack plans on Iran.

The officials close to the matter told the American news outlet that while Trump has approved the place, he is holding off on final orders to see if Tehran will abandon its nuclear program, three people familiar with the deliberations said. Now, in a separate report by Bloomberg, it is emerging that US officials are preparing for the possibility of Trump delivering the final order on the attack.

People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the situation is evolving and things could change in the coming days. Some of the sources also alluded to potential plans for a weekend strike on Iran.  The source even mentioned that the top leaders at a handful of federal agencies have also commenced getting ready for the attack.

It is interesting to note that the reports surrounding an imminent Iranian strike came just hours after Trump said, “I may do it. I may not do it,” when asked if he was moving closer to attacking Iran.

The choice between a fight and a deal

The stakes are high for Trump — and the world — as he engages in a push-pull debate between his goals of avoiding dragging the US into another war and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “I’m not looking to fight,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “But if it’s a choice between fighting and having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.”

The Trump administration now has two options in hand: either to sign a nuclear deal with Iran or to join hands with Israel in striking Iran, which might contribute to the wider tensions in the Middle East. Trump also offered a terse response to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s refusal to heed his call for Iran to submit to an unconditional surrender. “I say good luck,” Trump said.

Trump’s remarks came after Khamenei, in his first televised address after the conflict, warned that US strikes targeting the Islamic Republic would “result in irreparable damage for them” and that his country would not bow to Trump’s call for surrender.

With inputs from agencies.