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Trump has approved a plan to attack Iran. What the media is writing

WSJ reported on Trump's approval of the plan to attack Iran
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US President Donald Trump has previously approved strikes against Iran, but has not yet given a final order. He still hopes for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict with Israel and wants to avoid Washington's involvement in a protracted war. At the same time, most Americans do not approve of attacks on Iran. What the media write about the possible involvement of the United States in the escalation is in the Izvestia digest.

The Wall Street Journal: Trump verbally supported strikes on Iran

Trump told senior aides on June 17 that he approved of plans to attack Iran, but was holding back to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program. A possible US target is a well-protected uranium enrichment plant at Fordo, hidden under a mountain and beyond the reach of any bombs except American bunker busters.

The Wall Street Journal

When asked if he had decided to strike at Iran's nuclear facilities, Trump replied: "I can do it, I can not do it." And he repeated his insistence on Iran's unconditional surrender: "Next week will be very important, maybe less than a week."

In recent days, the US military has been building up forces in the Middle East. The third US Navy destroyer has entered the eastern Mediterranean, and the second US aircraft carrier strike group is heading to the Arabian Sea. Although the Pentagon has stated that the military buildup is purely defensive in nature, it will better position the United States if Trump decides to join the Israeli attacks on Iran. It may also be a tactic to pressure Iran to capitulate or make concessions.

Bloomberg: US officials are preparing for strikes on Iran

Senior U.S. officials are preparing for a possible strike on Iran in the coming days. The situation is still developing and may change, the sources said. Some of the people have pointed out potential plans for strikes over the weekend. Senior leaders of several federal agencies also began preparing for the attack.

Bloomberg

President Donald Trump has been publicly reflecting for several days on calling for such a strike against Iran, which has been at war with Israel for almost a week. On Wednesday, Trump told reporters at the White House that he has "ideas about what to do" and that he prefers to make a "final decision a second before it comes" because the situation in the Middle East is unstable.

The president's openness to war is the exact opposite of his public statements a week ago, when Trump called for diplomatic negotiations to reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear disarmament. Waiting before a strike gives Iranian leaders an additional opportunity to demonstrate to Trump that they are willing to give up some uranium enrichment capabilities in order to deter a U.S. attack.

CNN: Trump is focused on preventing a larger conflict.

Discussions are underway among top U.S. officials on how to strike targets in Iran without getting involved in a full-scale war. For Trump, trying to avoid a continuation of the conflict that began on June 12 has become a major requirement. While he is receptive to arguments, including from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that only the United States can decisively end Iran's nuclear ambitions, he is deeply wary of getting bogged down in the type of external conflict he has vowed to avoid.

CNN

As long as Trump keeps his options open, the administration continues to listen to allies who oppose offensive U.S. intervention. Among the reasons are the possibility that Iran will try to block the Strait of Hormuz, which could disrupt the global flow of oil, and Iran's potential choice to accelerate nuclear weapons development after any U.S. strike, two sources familiar with the discussions said. Iran has promised to take retaliatory measures if American troops join Israel in the attack.

Whether Trump will be able to strike Iran without being "dragged into the quagmire" is a matter of debate. Some Iran experts warn that a protracted confrontation could last the entire term of Trump's presidency and, at Israel's behest, lead to heavy losses in American lives and resources. Tehran may not be able to withstand a prolonged struggle with the United States, but it will not be an easy war for Washington either.

The Washington Post: Most Americans do not support strikes on Iran

The survey showed that Americans oppose the US airstrikes on Iran by a margin of 20 percentage points — 45% versus 25%. At the same time, a significant part of 30% stated that they were not sure of their choice. Two-thirds of Democrats oppose airstrikes on Iran, but Republicans are not so united: 47% support strikes, 24% oppose, and 29% have no opinion. Independents tend to oppose strikes by about a 2-to-1 ratio, more than a third are not sure.

The Washington Post

Among Trump voters, 46% support the airstrikes, 26% oppose, and 28% are unsure. Americans living with military or veteran families are divided on the wisdom of striking Iran, while other families are opposed by a wide margin.

Seven out of ten Americans said they had heard something about Israeli and Iranian airstrikes against each other over the past week. Support for the US airstrikes is highest among the people who pay the most attention to it, although even among this group there are more opponents than supporters of an attack on Iran. About one in five Americans believes that Iran's nuclear program poses an "immediate and serious threat" to the United States, while almost half believe it is a "fairly serious threat" and a third believe it is less dangerous.

Reuters: European diplomats to hold talks with Iran

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and the United Kingdom plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on June 20 in Geneva. The ministers will first meet with the Chief Diplomat of the European Union, Kaya Kallas, at the Permanent Mission of Germany in Geneva, and then hold a joint meeting with the Iranian diplomat.

Reuters

The purpose of the talks between Iran and the Europeans, which, according to a German source, are taking place in coordination with the United States, is to convince the Iranian side to firmly guarantee that it will use its nuclear program exclusively for civilian purposes. According to the source, the negotiations will be followed by a structured dialogue at the expert level.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke out in support of the Israeli attack and angered Tehran when he said that the Iranians must de-escalate or face the threat of even greater destruction. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johan Vadefoul on June 18 called on Iran's leaders to work on a solution that would include safeguards over its nuclear program, telling them: "It's never too late to come to the negotiating table."

Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»

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