American officials are gearing up for a US strike on Iran that could come as soon as the weekend. US bases and diplomatic facilities in the region are also preparing for potential retaliation if President Donald Trump orders a strike on the Islamic Republic.
Bloomberg reports, “Senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days, according to people familiar with the matter, as Israel and the Islamic Republic continue to exchange fire.”
The article adds, “Some of them pointed to potential plans for a weekend strike.”
The sources explained that Trump’s current strategy is hoping that a threatened attack would force Tehran to comply with his demand for “unconditional surrender.” On Wednesday, when asked if was going to order a strike on Iran, the president replied, “I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”
Tehran has said it will not negotiate under coercion. “Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance,” the Iranian UN mission said.
The Wall Street Journal reported that late Tuesday, Trump approved strike plans for Iran, but withheld authorizing the attack.
Washington is taking other steps to prepare for war. Newsweek reports viewing satellite imagery that shows American aircraft have been removed from the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. A statement from the Pentagon said, “We recommend that US citizens in Qatar take similar precautions.”
The US has also removed some of its diplomatic staff and their families from Israel.
