Trump planning ‘limited’ strike on Iran to drive Tehran to take nuclear deal: report
Donald Trump is considering using limited military strikes against Iran to force the regime into agreeing to a nuclear deal, according to a report.
The US military has moved military assets to the region to be ready to strike as soon as this weekend, multiple news outlets reported this week, citing unnamed sources.
People familiar with closed-door discussions now say the president is weighing an initial assault that would target a few military or government sites and could be followed by a much broader campaign if Iran still does not yield.
One source told the Wall Street Journal that strikes on Iran could steadily increase until either a deal is made or the regime falls. Officials said that recent discussions have focused more on larger-scale campaigns.
The president indicated on Thursday that he was open to diplomacy but would not rule out strikes as he told world leaders at his inaugural Board of Peace meeting that Iran must make a deal or “really bad things” would happen.
Trump set a deadline of 10 to 15 days, which drew a fresh threat from Tehran that it would retaliate against US bases in the region if attacked.
In a letter to UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, Tehran said it would not start any war but that “in the event that it is subjected to military aggression, Iran will respond decisively and proportionately”.
The letter added that US bases, facilities and assets across the region will be considered legitimate targets in the event.
US sources indicated this week that Trump has not yet made a decision on how to tackle the crisis. People familiar with Washington’s plans told CNN that options range from more targeted strikes to sustained operations that could last weeks.
Last summer, Trump authorised American bombers to drop bunker-buster bombs on some of Iran’s main underground facilities in a campaign lasting just hours that US intelligence services concluded may have only set Iran’s nuclear programme back by a matter of months.
White House officials told CNN that Trump continues to prefer a diplomatic solution to the crisis, and US troops have not yet received a list of potential targets in a sign Trump has not yet cleared strikes, the outlet reported.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, “only President Trump knows what he may or may not do.”
The US continues to move assets to the region as agreement on limits to Iran’s nuclear programme remains elusive.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was spotted off the coast of Oman this week and will soon be joined by the world’s largest warship, the $13bn USS Gerald R Ford.
President Trump warned on Wednesday that if Iran fails to agree a deal, it may be “necessary” to attack the country from Diego Garcia or RAF Fairford, threatening to drag Britain into the conflict.
Axios reported that the US has also moved more than 50 F-35, F-22 and F-16 fighter jets to the broader region this week, citing an unnamed US official and flight radar data.
The US has threatened Iran with military action since January, as the regime cracked down on anti-government protests sweeping the nation.
Renewed threats followed a warning from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Tehran was reconstituting the facilities struck last year.
Source: independent.co.uk
