Former President Donald Trump had approved plans for a possible strike on Iran, but had not yet made a final decision.
A senior intelligence source revealed that Trump initially held back from launching an attack in hopes that Iran might agree to abandon its nuclear program. It was also reported that he was considering targeting Fordo, an underground uranium enrichment facility located in Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected the demand made by Trump for an unconditional surrender. Trump was said to have indicated that his patience with iran news had run out.
When questioned about potential US military involvement in Iran, Trump reportedly responded by saying that he had not yet made up his mind and could go either way on the decision.
In a recorded address on Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sharply criticized Donald Trump, warning that any military intervention by the United States would come at a high cost. He made it clear that the Iranian people had no intention of surrendering.
Trump appeared to dismiss Khamenei’s remarks with a sarcastic response, offering no specific information about his next steps. He implied that no one could predict his intentions and suggested that the call for unconditional surrender signified his frustration with the situation.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that Trump had given initial approval for strike plans targeting Iran.
Amid escalating tensions, Israel carried out additional strikes against Iran, aiming at missile installations and nuclear-related infrastructure. In retaliation, Iran claimed to have launched hypersonic missiles, although reports indicated that no serious damage occurred on Israeli territory.
This marked Khamenei’s first public appearance since Israel’s pre-emptive strikes the previous Friday.
Iran’s diplomatic mission to the United Nations took to X (formerly Twitter) to ridicule Trump. Their posts emphasized that Iran would not engage in negotiations or agree to peace under pressure. They also made it clear that no Iranian official had ever sought favor from the US leadership, particularly not at the White House. The statement went on to condemn Trump personally, suggesting that his threats and rhetoric were both false and cowardly, especially his alleged intention to target Iran’s highest leader.
As tensions escalated, large numbers of Iranians flooded the roads leaving Tehran, a city of around 10 million residents, in an attempt to find safety from continued Israeli airstrikes.
In a video message released on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces were gradually advancing in their operations to neutralize the threats posed by iran news ballistic missile program and nuclear facilities.
He asserted that Israeli forces had established aerial dominance over Tehran and were carrying out intense strikes targeting key elements of the Iranian regime — including missile sites, command centers, and nuclear infrastructure.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed a Senate committee that the Pentagon stood ready to carry out any directives issued by President Trump, reinforcing the administration’s preparedness for further military action if called upon.
These developments came as the United States continued to increase its military presence in the Middle East. A carrier strike group, headed by the USS Nimitz, was reported to be moving from Southeast Asia to reinforce another group already stationed in the Gulf, which is led by the USS Carl Vinson.
Additional military aircraft, including aerial refueling tankers, were tracked flying out of Europe. Reports also indicated that F-22 and F-35 fighter jets were en route to the region, further signaling a buildup of combat capabilities.
The U.S. State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Washington, D.C., for diplomatic discussions expected to focus primarily on Iran.
The United States had not yet submitted any formal request to use British military bases located in Diego Garcia or Cyprus for operations against Iran.
Under normal circumstances, the U.S. would notify its allies in advance if it planned to initiate military actions from those locations. A British official suggested that Washington appeared to be weighing all available options, though there was still uncertainty about the specific course of action the U.S. might take.
In a related move, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem released an evacuation plan for American citizens currently in Israel. However, it remained unclear how many U.S. nationals were attempting to leave the country or whether the U.S. military would be involved in assisting with their departure.
Since Israel began its offensive on Friday, the attacks have reportedly resulted in the deaths of 585 individuals in Iran, as reported by the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Activists group. Their breakdown included 239 civilians and 126 members of Iran’s security forces.
In retaliation, Iran launched approximately 400 missiles at Israel. According to Israeli authorities, 24 people were killed in those attacks, all of them civilians.
Meanwhile, Iranian state television addressed an incident involving a hacked satellite transmission. Viewers were advised to disregard what was described as an irrelevant video message that urged the public to rebel against the Iranian leadership.
State media claimed that any unusual broadcasts were the result of foreign interference disrupting satellite signals. The video, believed to have been inserted by hackers, accused the Iranian regime of betraying its citizens and encouraged people to take control of their future. It featured footage from the mass anti-government protests that took place in 2022.
