A senior US Defense official revealed that on the evening of June 17 (local time), President Donald Trump approved the plan to attack Iran but had not made a final decision on whether to attack the country and officially participate in the Israeli air campaign.
Some other sources familiar with the matter believe that Mr Trump will delay the decision to attack if Tehran agrees to abandon its nuclear program.
However, the White House did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
The Iranian facilities that Trump could target are said to be the Fordow nuclear Fortress and an underground uranium enrichment facility. These are facilities that Israel has not targeted since launching bombings on Iranian territory last weekend.
On June 18, in an interview, President Trump affirmed that the final decision had been made, but did not say a specific plan. "I can do that. I might not do that. I mean, no one knows what I will do," Trump said.
However, Mr. Trump still expressed his desire for Iran to negotiate a deal to end the nuclear program.
In response to the US leader's surprise move, many international media outlets believe that Tehran may face Washington's military power in the next few days, specifically this week.
However, also on June 18, Iran - a country that has long affirmed its nuclear program for peaceful purposes - affirmed that it "does not negotiate under pressure", and warned that it will "respeat any threat with a counter-threat".
According to a senior US intelligence official and a Pentagon official, Iran has prepared missiles and equipment to attack US bases in the Middle East if the US joins the Israeli operation.
