
US prepares for possible strike on Iran: Report
Senior US officials are preparing for a possible military strike against Iran in the coming days, as Washington readies its infrastructure for a potential confrontation with Tehran, Bloomberg reported early today, June 19, citing informed sources.
The situation remains fluid and subject to change, the sources said, adding that a strike could potentially take place over the weekend.
One source indicated that senior leaders across multiple US federal agencies have already begun preparations for the possible military action.
This comes amid a notable shift in rhetoric from US President Donald Trump in recent days, as he has become increasingly open to military action, following warnings from allies that Iran may be close to acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina played a key role in urging the President to consider military options. Sources noted that Trump has held several phone calls with Graham. On Wednesday, June 18, Graham stated, 'He [Trump] gave them a chance for diplomacy. I think they made a miscalculation. The sooner we end this threat to mankind, the better.'
However, opposition voices in Congress are growing louder, with several lawmakers stressing that the constitutional authority to declare war lies with the legislative branch—not the President.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump approved plans for a potential strike on Iran but delayed making a final decision as he waits to see whether Tehran will abandon its nuclear program.
According to the same report, the highly fortified Fordow nuclear facility, used by Iran for uranium enrichment, is among the potential targets under consideration.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
40 minutes ago
- Arab News
Iran would have ‘no choice but to retaliate' if US joins Israeli attacks, Iranian deputy foreign minister tells CNN
LONDON: Tehran would have 'no choice' but to retaliate if the US decided to join Israel in attacking Iran, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi has told CNN. Ravanchi told CNN's Christiane Amanpour: 'If the Americans decide to get involved militarily, we have no choice but to retaliate. That is clear and simple because we are acting in self-defense.' Ravanchi took part in the interview on the sixth day of conflict between his country and Israel. Iran had been set to participate in a new round of talks on the nuclear issue with the US last Sunday, until Israel launched its attacks on Friday. Ravanchi said that his country's leadership doubted 'the sincerity of the Americans' given the timing of Israel's first attack. He added: 'Two days before the next round (of talks) started, the aggression took place. So, this is a betrayal of diplomacy; this is the betrayal of our trust of Americans. 'We should be the ones who should criticize the way that we were treated by the Americans, not vice versa.' When I asked Deputy Foreign Minister @TakhtRavanchi whether Iran is on the verge of making a nuclear bomb, he repeated what his government has said for decades: 'We do not believe in nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons have no place in our defensive doctrine.' — Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) June 18, 2025 The deputy foreign minister said: 'The Americans have been collaborating with the Israelis. Although they have said that they do not have anything to do with this conflict, it is not true. But if they decide to be engaged militarily, direct military involvement in this massacre, definitely we will do whatever necessary to protect ourselves. 'They (the Israelis) attacked residential areas, they attacked paramedics, they attacked citizens who were just sleeping in their homes. This is a crime against humanity, pure and simple.' Israel's targeting of Iran's nuclear facilities was also a crime, he said, adding: 'Fordow is another protected site based on IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) rules. 'So, that will be another instance of a crime which is being done, unfortunately by Israelis and Americans, which is prohibited under international law.' He said: 'These are safeguarded places. It is a crime in accordance with international law to attack a place which is safeguarded under IAEA rules. Unfortunately, the Americans and some Europeans have shielded the Israeli regime, (and it is) not to be criticized at the IAEA board of governors' meeting and also at the UN Security Council. So it's shame on all those who are protecting this regime.' Ravanchi said that Tehran had not asked the US or Israel to resume nuclear talks since hostilities began, refuting US President Donald Trump's earlier claim that Tehran had reached out to the White House. He said: 'We are not reaching out to anybody. We are defending ourselves. Although we have always promoted diplomacy … we cannot negotiate under threat. We cannot negotiate while our people are under bombardment every day. So we are not begging for anything; we are just defending ourselves.' Watch out for my exclusive interview with Iran Dep. FM @TakhtRavanchi from Tehran - really hard to reach. He tells me Iran will not surrender, will retaliate if the US gets involved... but is also ready to get back to negotiations once this ends. Watch it all: 1pET/6pBST. — Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) June 18, 2025 He claimed that the attacks had mobilized support for the government among Iranians, adding: 'Now there is a very strong cohesion within Iranian society to resist aggression, to resist foreign interference in our domestic affairs. 'Ask the people who are in Tehran. You will understand that the Iranians are behind their government because they are facing a foreign aggression which will be resisted.' Israeli officials have been urging Iranians to rise up against their government, arguing that now is the time for regime change with leaders in Tehran 'weakened' by the attacks. The Israeli strikes came as a result of increased tensions following the release of an IAEA report showing that Tehran had accelerated its uranium enrichment to 60 percent. Ravanchi said: 'IAEA inspectors were present in Iran. Different reports of the IAEA testify to the fact that we have been very straightforward in our nuclear program. 'There is no ban on 60 percent enriched uranium, which is being used in different places for peaceful purposes.' He reiterated that Iran does not have nuclear weapons and does not intend to create them, adding: 'Nuclear weapons have no place in our defensive doctrine. In fact, we believe that the world will be a better place without nuclear weapons. 'But who has the nuclear weapons in the Middle East? The Israeli regime. Who has the weapons, the most sophisticated weapons? The Americans. So, they are the ones who are responsible for all the chaos that is going on in different parts of the world.'


Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran's options against aggression includes closing Strait of Hormuz, Mehr news reports
Closing down the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of daily global oil consumption passes, is one of the options Iran could take to respond against its enemies, a member of the Iranian Parliament National Security Committee presidium Behnam Saeedi told the semi-official Mehr news agency on Thursday. Iran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure, and shipping sources said on Wednesday that commercial ships were avoiding Iran's waters around the strait.

Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Israel attacks Iran's only operating nuclear power plant
Israel said on Thursday it had struck Iran's only functioning nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast, potentially a major escalation in its air war against Iran. Israel has struck a number of Iranian nuclear targets since launching its attacks last week. But a strike on the Bushehr plant, which is located near Iran's Arab Gulf neighbors and employs technicians from Russia, would be widely be seen as a big step. Developing