Europe Asia News

On Wednesday, Trump posted a message on Truth Social calling on Iran to come to the negotiating table for a “fair and equal deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.” He warned that the next U.S. attack on the country would be “much worse” than the strike carried out by the U.S. military last summer on three Iranian nuclear facilities.

According to the sources, the options currently under consideration include U.S. airstrikes against Iranian leaders and security officials believed to be responsible for assassinations, as well as attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and government institutions. The sources said Trump has not yet made a final decision on how to proceed, but believes his military options have expanded compared to earlier this month with the presence of a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group in the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier Strike Group entered the Indian Ocean on Monday and continues to move toward Iran, where it could support possible operations against the country, both by assisting strikes and by protecting regional allies from potential Iranian retaliation.

Trump’s latest threats were met with anger in Tehran, and Iran announced that it would immediately respond to any U.S. military action. One of the senior advisers to the religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that if an attack occurs, they would target Israel.