Trump Weighs New Military Strike Against Iran on Friday
The Trump administration was preparing Friday for a fresh round of military strike planning against Iran, with no final decision reached by Friday afternoon. Some members of the U.S. military and intelligence community canceled their Memorial Day weekend plans as defense and intelligence officials updated recall rosters for U.S. installations overseas.
Trump's Friday warning
Donald Trump said Friday, "Iran is dying to make a deal," after saying Wednesday he was prepared to give Tehran "a couple of days" to respond to the latest U.S. offer. Trump also said Friday, "We'll see what happens."
That offer was transmitted to Iran on Wednesday, and Tehran was reviewing it as part of a possible agreement to end the nearly three-month war. A source said the proposal came with a warning that rejecting the final offer would mean military strikes would resume.
Iran and the U.S. offer
The U.S. and Iran had largely refrained from striking each other since a temporary ceasefire began in early April. On Wednesday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any further strikes from the United States or Israel could widen the conflict beyond the Middle East.
Anna Kelly, the White House spokesperson, said Trump had "made his redlines abundantly clear: Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and they cannot keep their enriched uranium." Kelly also said, "The President always maintains all options at all times, and it is the job of the Pentagon to be ready to execute any decision the Commander-in-Chief could make," and added, "The President has been clear about the consequences if Iran fails to make a deal."
Rubio and Plan B
Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, said the U.S. expected to receive a response via the Pakistani field marshal and said Trump preferred diplomacy to strikes. Rubio also referred to "Plan B" in conversations from meetings in Sweden with NATO members about reopening the Strait of Hormuz through military force if Iran did not agree to do so itself.
The immediate friction point is whether Tehran answers the U.S. proposal within the short window Trump described, or whether Washington moves from preparation to action. The Pentagon and intelligence agencies have already adjusted for the possibility, and the next step depends on the response that reaches Washington through the Pakistani field marshal.
