Reports: Washington Ready to Strike Iran by the End of the Week, Decision Pending Trump

SadaNews - Senior officials in the U.S. security apparatus have informed President Donald Trump that the U.S. military is ready to execute a strike on Iran by the end of this week, although the president has not yet made a final decision regarding the attack.

Reports indicated that the U.S. president held a security meeting last night to discuss military preparations amid rising tensions with Iran, noting that preparations will be completed with the arrival of the aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" to the region next week.

CBS News reported from informed sources that high-ranking security officials briefed Trump on the military's readiness to conduct a potential strike starting Saturday, but the decision has not been finalized, with indications that it may be postponed to next week.

The network noted that the Pentagon plans to evacuate some of its personnel from the Middle East to Europe and the United States over the next three days, in preparation for a possible operation or retaliatory strike by Iran.

One source emphasized that this measure is "routine" and does not necessarily indicate that an attack is imminent, amid increasing reports in the United States regarding potential military preparations for a strike against Iran.

The Wall Street Journal reported that several attack scenarios on Iran were presented to Trump last night, including targeting dozens of senior officials in the Iranian political and military leadership in an attempt to overthrow the regime, or carrying out specific strikes against nuclear sites or ballistic missile facilities.

The newspaper quoted American sources stating that any operation, even if limited to specific targets, could last for weeks.

According to the newspaper, the U.S. military has moved a number of aircraft to bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia over the past weeks, in what it described as the largest American military buildup in the region since 2003, during the Iraq invasion.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that there are no indications so far that Trump has made a firm decision, mentioning that the "Gerald Ford" aircraft carrier, expected to arrive in the Middle East by the end of the week or early next week, may initially be deployed in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel, aiming to protect Tel Aviv and Israeli cities from potential Iranian strikes.

The newspaper added that the American deployment places potential Iranian targets within operational range, including short and medium-range missiles, missile storage facilities, nuclear sites, and Revolutionary Guard headquarters, without specifying targeting Iranian leadership.

In related news, Reuters quoted an American official stating that Washington is still waiting for Tehran to present a written proposal to break the deadlock in the negotiations.

Reuters also reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to arrive in Israel at the end of next week to discuss the Iranian issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a move described as unusual in case of war outbreak and potential missile strikes, which could be interpreted as a sign that a decision has not yet been taken.

In Israel, Haaretz reported estimates in the security agencies that the likelihood of a U.S. strike on Iran has increased following the recent round of talks between Washington and Tehran this week.

The estimates indicated that substantive gaps still exist, contrary to Iranian public statements, particularly the demand to abandon uranium enrichment on Iranian soil.

Israeli estimates did not rule out the possibility of the Israeli military joining a potential U.S. strike, although the army confirmed that no directives have yet been issued to change readiness on the home front.

For her part, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt stated that there has been "slight progress" in the talks between the United States and Iran.

She added: "We still strongly differ on a number of issues. The Iranians are expected to come back to us with more details over the next two weeks. The president will continue to monitor developments closely."

In response to a question about coordination with Israel, Levitt stated that "the United States is in close constant contact with the State of Israel, starting from the summit – between the president and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."