President Trump says he is close to deciding whether to unleash a massive new attack on Iran, potentially bigger than anything Washington has thrown at Tehran so far.
“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” Trump told Axios on Thursday.
The warning comes as the Pentagon pours additional combat power and medical support into the region following the deaths of four American service members.
Trump said Israel could join a new operation almost immediately if requested.
Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to,” the president said, before adding: “We don’t need anybody.”
Trump also said Iran “want[s] to negotiate” but argued its leaders have not suffered enough damage to accept an agreement.
“They haven’t received enough pain yet,” he said.
The comments are Trump’s strongest indication yet that the current round of U.S. strikes could explode into a much larger offensive.
American special operations forces have been surged into the Middle East while fighter squadrons are being repositioned across the region, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials and others familiar with the deployments.
More than 150 medical personnel were also sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the military’s principal hospital for troops wounded in the Middle East, according to the Journal.
The U.S. military used a B-1 long-range bomber Tuesday to strike targets associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, American officials told Axios. It was the first reported B-1 mission since fighting resumed nearly two weeks ago.
Trump said his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains “very good” and indicated that he could meet with the Israeli leader if Netanyahu travels to Washington for the funeral of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
This story is developing…
B-1 bombers are launching from the U.K. for the first time, and Iran is now warning the British bases hosting them are legitimate targets.
The U.S. says more than 50,000 American troops are now in the region as additional personnel, including combat medics, deploy to support… pic.twitter.com/e2fTBKnL4C
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