“No immediate plans”: Donald Trump said amid report of possible US strike against Iran as early as tomorrow | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (local time) that Washington had no immediate plans to attack Iran amid growing speculation of an imminent operation, immediately after the results of the midterm elections.
In an interview with The Financial Times, Trump indicated that he was satisfied with the state of the standoff with Iran. “It seems like we’re getting everything we want,” Trump said.
When asked about recent reports and hints from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that an attack on Iran could happen later this week, Trump said: “I’m ready, we’re ready. We’re locked and loaded if we have to go, but there may be no reason to.”
US could attack Iran after midterm: NTY
Earlier, The New York Times reported that the US Central Command has a plan ready to attack Iran as early as tomorrow.
Such a strike would occur after today’s midterm elections.
The report added that some top officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration are urging him to focus on the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that economic pressure will topple the regime, while others believe that only military action will weaken the regime in Tehran.
Trump confirmed the attack on Qeshm Island
Trump also confirmed on Tuesday that the United States had launched strikes on the Iranian island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz.
“They put up an anti-aircraft device … Once it was completed, we hit it very nicely last night,” Trump said on Fox & Friends, saying it was a “minor attack.”
The attack came just hours after Trump suggested a deal with Tehran “could happen,” shortly before midterm polls opened dominated by public discontent with the war and the inflation it has fueled.
“Iran wants a settlement as soon as possible,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
US Vice President JD Vance also said he was optimistic about securing a deal with Iran.
“We’ve certainly made some progress. We’ll see if there’s anything else we can do,” Vance told reporters Monday.
What Iran said
In response to the Qeshm attack, Iran’s chief negotiator with the United States, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the Islamic Republic was “ready to fight with its finger on the trigger.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government was still trying to resolve the crisis “through dialogue”, adding that “no one will benefit from this war” if it flares up again.
Pezeshkian emphasized that the country’s supreme leader recently granted the government new powers to negotiate on issues that were previously “forbidden.”
