President Donald Trump of the United States has approved a plan to strike Iran, but he has not made a final decision to carry out the attack, according to CBS, a U.S. partner of the BBC.
According to intelligence sources cited by CBS, the U.S. President has refrained from launching the strikes while Iran still has the option to abandon its nuclear program. Reports indicate Trump is considering a U.S. military strike on a uranium processing facility in Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday rejected Trump’s proposal for de-escalation, following the U.S. President’s statement that his patience had run out.
When asked on Wednesday whether the U.S. could go to war with Iran, Trump responded: “I could do it, or I could not.”
That same Wednesday, Khamenei sharply criticized Trump in a speech, saying that “American military intervention” would come at a high cost, adding: “Iran will not back down.”
Trump, in turn, wished him “good luck,” but refused to reveal his next move, instead saying: “I want to keep it vague; no one knows what I’m going to do.”
The war between Iran and Israel—which the United States is showing interest in joining—is set to enter its second week this coming Friday. Meanwhile, the two Middle Eastern countries continue to exchange fire, with civilians caught in the crossfire.
