The US military's plans to conduct military operations against Iran are in "the advanced stages," an anonymous US official told Qatari-state-owned Al Jazeera on Monday. The military options for an operation against the Islamic Republic are "being tailored to circumstances and developments," the official told the outlet. "Our forces in the Middle East are ready for any contingency, any mission, and to defend themselves and our interests."
These comments follow Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's weekend meeting with the Trump administration's Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to discuss the ongoing protests across the Islamic Republic, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Axios earlier on Tuesday. Araghchi "reached out" to Witkoff, the report claimed.
This, in turn, followed US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to intervene in the protests, including not ruling out military force. Meanwhile, Trump on Monday revealed that Iran has approached the US to request a return to negotiations regarding a new nuclear deal. “I think they’re tired of being beaten up by the United States,” he said. “Iran wants to negotiate.” (Read More)