US military tells Trump that it's ready to strike Iran by this weekend: Report
US military reportedly prepared strike options on Iran as Trump weighs decision amid Geneva talks and increased American deployments in the Middle East
The US military has reportedly briefed President Donald Trump that it was prepared to attack Iran by this weekend, although he has yet to decide whether to authorise the strike. The revelation was made in a CNN report quoting sources. The development comes amid heavy US military buildup in the Middle East. The report further stated, quoting a source,e that Trump has privately argued both for and against launching strikes on Iran.
According to media reports, top national security officials of the Trump administration held a meeting over the issue at the White House Situation Room. On Wednesday, Trump was briefed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, regarding the indirect US-Iran talks held earlier. However, it is yet to be clear whether Trump will take a call on the matter by the weekend.
Talks and diplomatic signals
Iranian and American officials exchanged written messages for roughly three-and-a-half hours during indirect negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday, but the session ended without an apparent breakthrough. Iran’s chief negotiator said afterwards that the two sides had settled on a “set of guiding principles,” while a US official cautioned that “there are still a lot of details to discuss.”
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Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tehran was expected to clarify its stance “in the next couple of weeks.” She declined to say whether President Donald Trump would refrain from military action during that period.
'Rubio may meet Netanyahu'
Separately, a State Department official told CNN that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit Israel on February 28 for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where he is expected to brief him on the status of the negotiations.
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“I’m not going to set deadlines on behalf of the president of the United States,” Leavitt said. She said that while “diplomacy is always his first option,” the possibility of force had not been ruled out.
“There’s many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran,” she said, noting that Trump was consulting his national security advisers “first and foremost.”
Military movements in region
The USS Gerald Ford, described as the most advanced carrier strike group in the US fleet, could reportedly reach the region as soon as this weekend following a series of additional deployments. According to media reports, US Air Force aircraft stationed in the United Kingdom, including refueling tankers and fighter jets, are being moved closer to the Middle East.