A US military attack on Iran is ‘imminent’ and could come at any time with US President Donald Trump’s approval, indicate sources in the US military.
“All the signals point to the fact that a US attack is imminent,” the sources in Washington said, adding that the uncertainty surrounding an attack by the US reflects the style of the Trump administration, which has maintained unpredictability as a key factor in military interventions and mediations.
Sources in Brussels too have said “US military intervention could come in the next 24 hours”.
Tensions in Iran are running high since demonstrations began against an ailing economy in late December. As many as 2,000 protesters have been killed in the anti-regime clashes, say reports by human rights agencies.
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Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in the country’s internal affairs, suggesting a regime change is due. Over the past few days, he has warned of US strikes if “more demonstrators are killed”.
Tehran has blamed the US and Israel for fuelling the protests and said any military strike by the country will invite strong reaction from Iran, hinting at possible strikes on US and Israel military bases in the Middle East.
The Gulf nations have urged Trump not to attack Iran “in any capacity”, warning that it could permanently destabilise the region and plunge it into chaos.
While the Israeli government has long favoured military action against Iran, it appears that Trump is likely to grant Netanyahu’s wish, as the US military began evacuating some of its personnel from bases in the Middle East on Wednesday.
A day earlier, Trump called on Iranian protesters to seize control of state institutions, after proclaiming that “help is on its way”. The US president stated that his administration was “looking at some very strong options” against the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, in successive statements on Tuesday and Wednesday, said while Iran does not seek a military confrontation with the US, it is “prepared for war”.
He, however, said Tehran was also “prepared for negotiations” with Washington, as long as those are “fair, honourable, and from an equal position”.
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