Israel
reportedly lacks the means to take out some of Iran’s nuclear sites without US
military involvement
President Donald Trump has
secretly approved plans for a direct US attack on Iran but has yet to give the
order to proceed, The Wall Street Journal reports. Tehran has warned that any
military intervention by Washington will be met with “irreparable damage” to
the US.
Trump has made direct threats
against Iran in recent days, while echoing Israeli claims that the Islamic
Republic is developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has repeatedly insisted that its
nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
The US president is hoping that
the prospect of the US joining Israel’s nearly week-long bombing campaign will
force Tehran to meet his demands for unconditional surrender, WSJ wrote on
Wednesday.
Trump told senior aides late on
Tuesday that he has endorsed plans for an attack on Iran but is waiting to give
the final order until it becomes clear whether Tehran will agree to terminate
its nuclear enrichment program altogether, the outlet wrote, citing three
sources familiar with the discussions.
Israel issues death threat to
Iran’s supreme leader READ MORE: Israel issues death threat to Iran’s supreme
leader
The US president has asked his
advisers whether US Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs can penetrate and
destroy Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, which is buried deep in a mountain,
Axios wrote on Wednesday, citing an anonymous official.
Israel lacks the 30,000-pound
(13,600 kg) bunker-busters and has no aircraft capable of carrying them.
Nonetheless, Israeli officials have stressed that they will not end the
conflict while Fordow remains intact.
Six US B-2 Spirits, which are
currently the only bombers capable of carrying the MOP, are deployed within
attack range of Iran at the joint UK-US Diego Garcia base, the Financial Times
reported on Wednesday. Downing Street is concerned that any strikes by the
bombers may draw the UK into the conflict, according to the outlet.
The US has been concentrating
more of its forces in the Middle East in recent days, moving in dozens of
tanker planes used for refueling jets in flight and air-defense-capable
warships, as well as an additional aircraft carrier group.
Trump told the press on Wednesday
that he has “ideas on what to do,” but has not made “the final decision.”
Earlier this week, the president boasted that US jets have unchallenged
supremacy in Iranian airspace. He also claimed that killing Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei would be “easy” and demanded Tehran’s “unconditional surrender.”
Khamenei has replied that Iran
“will not capitulate to anyone in the face of coercion.”
Defense Minister
Israel Katz says that Ali Khamenei “can no longer be allowed to exist”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Iran’s
supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, “can no longer be allowed to exist.” Previous
media reports suggested that US President Donald Trump blocked an Israeli plan
to assassinate him.
Israel launched airstrikes last Friday targeting Iranian nuclear
facilities and carried out targeted killings of senior military officials. The
attacks elicited an Iranian response and the two countries have traded blows
since.
Katz made the statement following a missile strike that reportedly
seriously damaged Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva, a major city in southern
Israel. Shlomi Codish, the hospital’s director general, said the missile hit an
old building that had been evacuated.
“There is widespread damage to other buildings at the hospital. All
patients and all staff were in shelters,” Codish said. “The several injured we
have are lightly hurt, mostly from the blast shockwave.”
Katz claimed Khamenei was personally ordering strikes on hospitals,
which he asserted justified calling for the Iranian leader’s death. He also
accused Khamenei of seeking Israel’s destruction.
Iranian media, however, reported that the intended target was an
Israeli military intelligence facility located in the Gav-Yam Negev Advanced
Technologies Park, about 1.3km from the hospital.
Reports from several Western outlets last week stated that Israel
had consulted the US about a plan to assassinate Khamenei prior to the latest
escalation. According to Axios, Trump rejected the idea, with US officials
telling Israel, “The Iranians haven’t killed an American and discussion of
killing political leaders should not be on the table.”
In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu claimed Iran had tried to assassinate Trump twice and still
considered him a target due to his firm stance against Tehran.
The US authorities accused two individuals, one of them
posthumously, in two separate cases of trying to assassinate Trump on his 2024
campaign trails, but linked neither to Tehran. US officials also claimed that
Iran conspired with people in the US to kill Trump before his second election
victory, which Tehran denied.
Trump threatened Khamenei this week, stating on social media that
he is “an easy target, but is safe” because “we are not going to take him out
(kill!), at least not for now.” He also demanded unconditional surrender from
Iran.
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