Trump Reportedly Considering Limited Strike on Iran
Washington (ANTARA) - US President Donald Trump is considering a limited initial military strike against Iran aimed at pressuring Tehran into accepting a nuclear deal, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday (19/2), citing several sources familiar with the deliberations.
If approved, the strike could be carried out within days, targeting a number of military or government sites, the report said.
The report added that should Iran continue to refuse to meet US nuclear demands, the Trump administration would respond with a large-scale operation against Iranian government facilities, potentially aimed at toppling the "Tehran regime".
Trump has not yet made a decision on ordering a strike of any scale, although he is considering several options ranging from a week-long strike operation to force "regime change" to smaller waves of attacks targeting Iranian government and military facilities, the report added.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters that Iran had 10 to 15 days to reach a deal on its nuclear programme, warning that otherwise "very bad things" would happen to the country. He declined to answer what the objective of a possible US military strike would be.
"Regime change" in Iran would be "the best thing that could happen," Trump said last week.
A Trump adviser estimated a "90 per cent chance" that strikes would occur within the coming weeks if negotiations fail, Axios reported on Wednesday (18/2).
He also said US strikes could involve a large-scale operation lasting several weeks, potentially conducted jointly with Israel.
Trump has ordered a major military build-up in the Middle East. Many believe the build-up makes it difficult for Trump to back down without significant concessions from Iran.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford approached Gibraltar on Wednesday en route from the Caribbean to join the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in waters near Iran, according to local media reports.
If approved, the strike could be carried out within days, targeting a number of military or government sites, the report said.
The report added that should Iran continue to refuse to meet US nuclear demands, the Trump administration would respond with a large-scale operation against Iranian government facilities, potentially aimed at toppling the "Tehran regime".
Trump has not yet made a decision on ordering a strike of any scale, although he is considering several options ranging from a week-long strike operation to force "regime change" to smaller waves of attacks targeting Iranian government and military facilities, the report added.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters that Iran had 10 to 15 days to reach a deal on its nuclear programme, warning that otherwise "very bad things" would happen to the country. He declined to answer what the objective of a possible US military strike would be.
"Regime change" in Iran would be "the best thing that could happen," Trump said last week.
A Trump adviser estimated a "90 per cent chance" that strikes would occur within the coming weeks if negotiations fail, Axios reported on Wednesday (18/2).
He also said US strikes could involve a large-scale operation lasting several weeks, potentially conducted jointly with Israel.
Trump has ordered a major military build-up in the Middle East. Many believe the build-up makes it difficult for Trump to back down without significant concessions from Iran.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford approached Gibraltar on Wednesday en route from the Caribbean to join the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in waters near Iran, according to local media reports.