Washington: In a possible sign that the US is planning to directly enter the Israel-Iran war, senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran. Washington is likely assembling the infrastructure to attack Iran, said a report in NDTV. The Israeli military also confirmed that it was “carrying out a series of strikes” in Tehran and other parts of the country.
US may strike this weekend
The situation is continuously evolving in the Middle Eastern region. Some reports pointed to a possible US strike this weekend. The Israeli Air Force in a post on social media platform ‘X’ said, “The Air Force has now begun a wave of attacks in Tehran and other areas in Iran.”
According to reports, top leaders in Washington and a handful of federal agencies have already started preparing for a possible attack. President Donald Trump has now for weeks predicted such strikes on Iran, which is engaged in fierce fighting with Israel.
On Wednesday Trump speaking to reporters at the White House said, he has “ideas as to what to do” and that he prefers to make the “final decision on second before it is due”. He also described the situation in the Middle East as fluid.
Upon being questioned about a possible attack on Tehran, Trump said, “I may do it, I may not do it.” Following this statement, a White House official said that all options were on the table.
Trump’s openness to strike Iran is a reversal from his stance just a week back, when he was talking about a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Iran conflict. He had also offered to mediate between the 2 countries to bring truce. However now President Trump has shifted gears, following warnings from allies that Iran is planning to acquire nuclear weapons. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is one of the people who has reportedly urged the President to go in for a war with Iran.
Israel’s warning for evacuation
Meanwhile Israel has warned Iranians to leave the area around the Arak water reactor. The warning was posted on social media platform, ‘X’. The Israeli military marked the area with a red circle and wrote, ” Immediate warning to employees and all people in the red area of the map within the cities of Arak and Khandab.The Israeli army is operating in this area, as it has been doing throughout Iran in recent days to attack the Iranian regime’s military infrastructure.”
The military further said, “Dear citizens, for your safety and health, we ask that you leave the designated area on the map within the cities of Arak and Khandab as soon as possible.Your presence in this area puts your life at risk.”
The Arak reactor is located some 250 kilometres southwest of Tehran. Here plutonium is created which may be used in nuclear weapons. The plutonium may act as a replacement for enriched uranium which is generally used for nuclear weapons manufacturing.
