Trump okays Iran attack plan, keeps final call on hold: WSJ

US President Donald Trump has approved a military plan to strike Iran but has yet to issue a final order, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing three sources familiar with the matter.

The report, published Wednesday, states that Trump informed senior advisers on Tuesday night that he had greenlighted the plan but wanted to wait and see if Iran would step back from its nuclear ambitions before taking further action.

One of the potential targets, the report adds, is Iran's underground nuclear facility in Fordo, located deep within a mountain. Military experts suggest that such a site could only be effectively hit using a powerful, bunker-busting bomb.

When asked on Wednesday about the possibility of attacking Iran’s nuclear sites, President Trump gave a cryptic response, “I can’t say whether the United States will attack Iran’s nuclear facilities or not. We’ll see what happens. I may do it, I may not do it.”

Trump further noted that Iran had been given 60 days to reconsider its nuclear program and was offered Iran multiple chances for a nuclear deal. He reiterated his previous statement that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons.

Despite the looming threat of military action, Trump signaled that diplomacy remains an option.

The US President stated that Iran's desire for talks comes too late, asserting that the country "will have to face difficulties." He indicated that while Iran now seeks to engage, there's a noticeable shift from two weeks prior.

The President reiterated that Iran had numerous opportunities for a nuclear deal, but his current message is one of "unconditional surrender."

He further claimed Iran's defences have failed, leaving it without adequate air defence and in growing trouble. In response to a question about Iran's decades-long "Death to America, Death to Israel" chants, the President hinted that the upcoming week is crucial, suggesting "major action" could occur before then.

He also accused Iranian officials of holding "evil intentions" regarding their nuclear program.

Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei firmly rejected any notion of surrender. In a statement, he warned that any US military intervention would lead to “irreparable consequences.”

“The US President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a televised message shared by Iranian media.