US President Donald Trump has discussed the timing of strikes on Iran, including the possibility of doing so as early as this weekend.
Points of attention
- US President Donald Trump has discussed the timing of strikes on Iran, with the possibility of striking as early as this weekend.
- The military is prepared for potential action against Iran following increased US presence in the Middle East.
Trump is preparing to strike Iran
According to sources, on February 18, senior national security officials informed Trump that the military was ready for potential strikes on Iran as early as this Saturday.
However, the timing of any action is likely to extend beyond this weekend. Officials say Trump has not yet made a final decision on whether to strike.
At the same time, one of CNN's interlocutors said that Trump privately spoke both for and against military action, and also polled advisers and allies about what course of action would be best.
"He spends a lot of time thinking about this," the source says.
As CNN specifies, the White House was informed of the possible readiness for strikes after the US significantly increased its air and naval presence in the Middle East in recent days.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and its flotilla of warships are already in the region, while a second carrier strike group, the USS Gerald Ford, was headed to the Middle East. According to ship tracking data, the Ford was off the coast of West Africa as of Wednesday.
Also, according to CBS News sources, the Pentagon will temporarily relocate some personnel from the Middle East to Europe or back to the U.S. over the next three days. This will be done in anticipation of possible actions or counterattacks from Iran if Washington decides to continue its operation.
As the publication explains, redeploying personnel in advance of potential US military activity is standard Pentagon practice. That is, it does not necessarily mean an attack on Iran is imminent.
