No decision made as of Tuesday night, WSJ reports, after US president’s huddle with national security team, phone call with Netanyahu; more US warplanes said en route to Mideast
As US President Donald Trump weighs joining Israel’s war with Iran, he spoke with both his own National Security Council and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night, seemingly to weigh Washington’s next steps in the region.
At the same time, both the American and Iranian militaries were said to make preparations for the possibility of helping Israel. More American warplanes, refueling aircraft, and aircraft carriers were en route to the region, and Iranian missiles were prepared to strike US bases in nearby countries.
Netanyahu wrapped up his phone call with Trump around 1 a.m. Israel time. The premier said he has spoken with Trump almost every day since the start of Israel’s attack on Iran last week.
Trump declared Tuesday that he is seeking Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” and that Washington was only holding off on assassinating Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “for now.”
The US president’s meeting with his National Security Council on the conflict lasted an hour and half, a White House official told The New York Times.
The Journal said a strike was “just one of the options that was discussed,” and that Trump was still “holding out” in hope that Iran will, under pressure, commit to dismantle its nuclear program peacefully.
Meanwhile, three US officials told Reuters that Washington was deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes.
The US State Department, meanwhile, said that the US embassy in Jerusalem will close until Friday, citing security concerns and Israeli Home Front Command guidelines. The consular sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will both be closed. The statement said there was no information about assisting US citizens in departing from Israel.
A source familiar with internal discussions told Reuters that Trump and his team are considering a number of options, including joining Israel on strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.
Several US officials told The New York Times that Israel would need US help to deal more significant blows to Iran’s nuclear program.
The officials said that help would probably take the form of a strike by US B-2 stealth bombers, using the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb, on the Fordo nuclear plant, built deep into a mountain that Israeli munitions may not be able to penetrate on their own.
The officials said the US, less probably, could help Israel by providing air cover for Israeli commandos to enter Iran and operate on the ground.
Iran has prepared to hit US bases if America joins war
If the US does get directly involved in the war, Iran is expected to respond, potentially attacking US military bases in the region.
The Islamic Republic has prepared missiles and other measures for potential strikes against US forces in the Middle East, The New York Times reported.
A source with access to US intelligence reports told Reuters that Iran has moved some ballistic missile launchers, but said it is difficult to determine if they are meant to target US forces or Israel.
The Times, citing two Iranian officials, said that strikes on US bases would probably start with those in Iraq, but would extend to any Arab countries that participated in US-Israeli attacks.
US officials told the Times that would not take much preparation, citing Iranian missile bases within easy striking range of Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran might also respond to US involvement by placing explosive mines in the Strait of Hormuz, at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, to keep US naval forces inside the gulf, the Times reported.
The Associated Press reported early Wednesday that images taken on Tuesday appeared to show that there are no longer any vessels anchored off the headquarters of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain.
Dispersing ships is a common safety technique employed by navies around the world in times of trouble.
Pro-Iran militias could also target US bases in region
The Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen, which agreed to a truce with the US in May (while continuing to fire ballistic missiles directly at Israel) will likely resume its attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to the Times.
Pro-Iran groups in Syria and Iraq will probably also attack US bases in those countries. An Iran-backed militia in Jordan killed three US soldiers in January 2024 with a drone attack on an American military base.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group, which long served as a central deterrent against Israeli attacks on Iran, has not gotten involved in the new conflict, after a devastating war with Israel destroyed much of its arms and dramatically reduced its influence.
Now in its sixth day, the Israeli operation in Iran was launched with the objective of removing what Israel says is the existential threat of the Iranian nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities. Iran has retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.
Iran, which has vowed to destroy the Jewish state, insists that its nuclear program is peaceful; however, it has been enriching uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and has greatly expanded its ballistic missile capabilities.
Content retrieved from: https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-seriously-weighing-strike-on-iran-iran-said-to-prep-hits-on-us-bases/.
About The Author
