As tension soars in the Middle East over a potential US intervention in Iran following the public protest, reports hint that the likelihood of US President Donald Trump ordering a strike on the Islamic Republic has increased significantly in recent days.
The US shift toward the possibility of striking Iran came about after Trump held a lengthy discussion with his advisers on the matter on Tuesday, according to Israel’s Channel 12. The report quoted an American official who said it was likely that Trump could do something about it within a day or two at the latest, as the bloodshed in Iran was continuing.”
This comes amid reports in Israeli media that the IDF was ready and alert on Wednesday night for an American attack during the night. Iran, too, had closed its airspace, and the US had evacuated its troops from bases in Qatar and other parts of the Middle East the day before, heightening the sense of imminent escalation.
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“To the best of our knowledge, a broad American attack on Iran is closer than ever. Even if there are last-minute postponements, it does not appear that negotiations are underway between the parties. We are preparing for all possibilities based on the lessons of the past," an Israeli security source told Hebrew media Walla.
The report also quoted analysts who said Trump stopped the attack plan at the last minute, but this could also be a part of a deception exercise. A security source told Walla: "American action is closer than ever; there will also be delays."
A Western military official also told Reuters that all the signals are that a US attack is imminent. “But that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy," he added.
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Earlier, there were reports in Israeli media that Israel came close to striking Iran twice in recent weeks due to mutual miscalculations. Former Military Intelligence Directorate chief Tamir Hayman said in an interview on Monday that Iran’s preparations created a “coordination imperative” between Israel and Washington. He said recent near-escalations were the result of miscalculation risks, which in turn strengthened military cooperation between the IDF and US forces.
An Iranian official told Reuters today that Tehran would strike US bases in the region if attacked. A similar threat has been made in recent days. According to the official, Tehran has warned regional countries - including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey - that US bases would be targeted in the event of an attack, and urged them to prevent Washington from doing so.