WP reported disagreements about Iran in the Trump administration

U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz are confident that a military operation should be conducted against Iran's nuclear program, while Vice President Jay Dee Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard advocate a more prudent policy. This was reported on April 18 by The Washington Post.

"Waltz and <...> Rubio have opted for military action to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons production potential," the publication says, citing representatives of the US authorities.

A similar plan is being proposed to US President Donald Trump by supporters of far-right views who hold pro-Israel positions.

Vance and Gabbard, in turn, support a more cautious course of action. In addition to them, American journalist Tucker Carlson advocates a diplomatic approach.

Proponents of a more restrained approach, based on American intelligence estimates, believe that Tehran is not going to create nuclear weapons. According to them, there is a possibility that the bombing of Iran could cause a larger regional war in the Middle East.

Shock mood: Israel discusses military solution to Iran's nuclear problem

Tehran is close to possessing weapons of mass destruction

Earlier in the day, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed Iranian official, that Iran needed guarantees that the United States would not withdraw from the new nuclear deal. It is specified that the republic will act exclusively in accordance with the position of the country's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, answering a question from Izvestia during a press conference in Moscow, said that the current situation in the negotiations on the nuclear program has developed in such a way that the Islamic Republic cannot conduct direct negotiations with opponents due to incoming threats from the American side.

The first round of negotiations between the United States and Iran on lifting sanctions and nuclear issues ended in Oman on April 12. During the meeting, the Iranian Foreign Minister and the US President's Special envoy for the Middle East, Stephen Witkoff, exchanged the positions of their governments on these issues in the presence of the Omani Foreign Minister. At the end of the meeting, Tehran announced the continuation of negotiations in a week.