President Donald Trump confirmed he was briefed in person at the White House on military options against Iran. Washington is weighing a major strike against a diplomatic settlement.
President Donald Trump has confirmed that he received an in-person briefing at the White House on military options against Iran, Open Source Intel reported. A major military strike is under consideration, and so is a diplomatic resolution.
The briefing included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command.
On October 24, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was leaning toward renewed military action against Iran but had not yet reached a final decision. That same day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used an appearance on state television to blame Washington for sinking talks on an interim agreement. He still urged Tehran to finish the deal.
"We were having negotiations, the cowards [Americans] messed everything up. I still think we should go and conclude it," Pezeshkian said.
In Israel that evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Iran in a campaign video. "Iran has restarted its nuclear program, and it wants to destroy us within a short time," Netanyahu said. He called the final days of the campaign "a fateful week."
Hegseth visited Israel in October. On the day of that visit, dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets and refueling aircraft flew in attack formation over Syria and Iraq. They came within a short distance of Iran's border before turning back to their bases, according to an October 21 report based on US sources.
By late October, Iran had begun handing out civil defense guides on how to shelter from a nuclear strike. Outlets linked to the Revolutionary Guards carried the instructions, which told citizens to stay away from windows, take shelter in reinforced buildings and remain indoors.
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