The brash and tough-talking President of the United States, Mr. Donald Trump has approved a plan to attack Iran but has yet to give a final order.
He did not make a final decision on whether to strike the country and formally join Israel’s air campaign, a senior intelligence source and a Defense Department official familiar with the development told CBS News.
Trump held off on deciding to strike in case Tehran agrees to abandon its nuclear program, the sources said.
Moreover, Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire as the war entered a seventh day.
Diaspora Digital Media reported that an Israeli hospital on Thursday morning, was struck by an Iranian missile, while Israel said it struck 100 targets in Iran, including the heavy-water reactor in Arak and a site in Natanz that it said was being used for nuclear-weapons development.
In the last three days, the United States has built up military forces in the region in recent days. A third U.S. Navy destroyer entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea and a second U.S. carrier strike group is heading toward the Arabian Sea.
While the Pentagon said the buildup is defensive, it better positions the U.S. should Trump decide to join Israeli attacks on Iran. It could also be a tactic to pressure Iran to capitulate or make concessions.
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his country wouldn’t surrender and warned any U.S. military intervention would bring irreparable consequences.
