Trump approves Iran strike plans but holds off final order – WSJ

President Donald Trump has approved military plans for potential U.S. strikes on Iran but is holding off on giving the final order to see if Tehran will abandon its nuclear program, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Trump is reportedly hoping that the threat of joining Israel’s military campaign will pressure Iran into making concessions on its nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The developments follow heightened tensions in the region and a growing number of comments and actions suggesting the Trump administration may pursue direct U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Trump was asked at the White House whether he is moving closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “I may do it, I may not do it, no one knows what I’m going to do,” Trump said.

“Iran’s got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate, and I said why didn’t they negotiate with me before,” Trump said. “You could have done fine, you would have a country, it’s very sad to watch this.”

President Trump on Monday called for the evacuation of Tehran, then left the G7 summit early to return to Washington for urgent national security consultations. According to CNN, he stated he was seeking a “real end” to the conflict and was “not too much in the mood to negotiate.”

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday. “Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” He later followed up with a separate post demanding “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted a statement saying, “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy.”

Israel’s military operations inside Iran have continued through Wednesday, while Iran continues to fire ballistic missiles toward Israel, although in smaller batches, as Israeli officials believe Iran’s capabilities have been degraded by the operation.

The Trump administration has not confirmed any direct U.S. military involvement, but the State Department has begun evacuating nonessential diplomats and their families from Israel, according to the Associated Press.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and its consular sections in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv announced they will remain closed from Wednesday through Friday due to the ongoing conflict and rising security concerns.