U.S. President Donald Trump has approved plans to attack Iran but is holding off on giving the final order.
Trump reportedly held a meeting with senior generals on Tuesday night to discuss strategy.
He has not yet made a final decision as he was holding out hope that Iran would abandon its nuclear program, sources told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Highlights
- President Trump approved plans to attack Iran but has yet to give a final order, hoping Iran abandons its nuclear program.
- Iranian missiles struck Soroka Hospital in Israel, injuring around 65 people.
- Israel overnight struck Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, Natanz nuclear site, and multiple missile production facilities.
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei warned of ‘irreparable harm’ if the U.S. joins Israel in attacking Iran.
Donald Trump has approved a plan but has not yet given orders to go ahead
Image credits: The White House
Potential plans included targeting Fordow, a secretive underground nuclear facility south of Tehran, the sources said.
Trump hopes that having a plan in place will bring Tehran back to the negotiating table, WSJ reports.
Senior officials are now understood to be preparing for a strike as soon as this weekend.
"I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven't made a final [decision]," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
Image credits: Mostafa Alkharouf /Anadolu via Getty Images
“I like to make the final decision one second before it's due, because things change, especially with war.”
He had earlier, when asked about U.S. involvement, said: “I may do it, I may not do it.
“Nobody knows what I'm going to do.”
It comes as an Iranian ballistic missile hit Soroka Hospital in Israel, causing extensive damage and injuring around 65 people, Israel’s emergency medical service said.
Magen David Adom (MDA) reported three serious injuries, two people with moderate injuries, and others suffering shrapnel and blast injuries.
According to Iran’s state-run news agency, IRNA, an IDF command and intelligence headquarters and army intelligence camp in the Gav-Yam Technology Park were the targets.
“The hospital was only exposed to the blast wave and did not suffer serious damage, but military infrastructure was a precise and direct target,” the report said.
Around 65 people were injured in an Iranian strike on a hospital in Israel
Image credits: Magen David Adom
Overnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) hit Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor and the Natanz facility.
Around 40 Air Force Fighter jets were involved in the attacks at dozens of military targets in Tehran.
“As part of the wave of attacks and as part of the IDF's extensive operations to damage the Iranian regime's nuclear weapons program, the nuclear reactor in the Arak region of Iran was attacked, including the structure that seals the reactor, which is a main component in plutonium production,” an IDF statement said.
“The Air Force attacked a site used to develop nuclear weapons in the Natanz area last night. The site houses unique components and equipment used to develop nuclear weapons, and projects are being developed there that enable the acceleration of the nuclear weapons program,” the statement added.
Image credits: Magen David Adom
“The fighter jets also attacked military production sites of the Iranian regime, including factories for producing raw materials, components used to assemble ballistic missiles, and sites for creating Iranian air defense systems and missiles.”
Iran has accused Israel of “continuing its aggression and actions contrary to international laws that prohibit attacks on nuclear facilities” and has made a complaint to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), IRNA reported.
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has also threatened “irreparable harm” if the U.S. joins Israel’s air campaign.
The threat came after Trump, in a Truth Social post, stated the U.S. knew where Khamenei was hiding and dubbed him an “easy target.”
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Trump said.
“He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.
“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin.”
Khamenei responded to the threat on X and said Iran would never surrender.
Iran has threatened harm to the U.S. if it joins Israel's campaign
“The U.S. President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him.
“They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats.”
“The US entering in this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter,” he added in a separate post.
Khamenei followed that up by stating: “The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily.”
Image credits: khamenei_ir
Iran and Israel have been trading missiles since Israel launched a specialized military campaign called Operation Rising Lion last week.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation was in response to how close Iran was to producing nuclear weapons.
“If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year, it could be within a few months, less than a year,” he said.