Trump sees disabling Iran nuclear site at Fordo as necessary as he weighs decision on strike

Washington – President Trump was informed both of the risks and benefits of bombing FordThe safest nuclear site in Iran, and its state of mind is that deactivation is necessary due to the risk of weapons products within a relatively short time, several sources told CBS News.

“He thinks there are not many choices,” said a source. “Finish work means destroying Fordo.”

The president approved the attack plans on Iran on Tuesday evening, but did not make a final decision on If you have to hit The country and officially join Israel’s air campaign, a senior source of intelligence and a defense ministry official in CBS News on Wednesday.

Trump decided to decide to strike in case Tehran agrees to abandon his nuclear program, the sources said.

CBS News previously reported that Mr. Trump was strike onAn underground uranium enrichment installation. Israel has not made any known strike on Fordo since he started bombing Iranian nuclear and military targets at the end of last week.

Trump’s decision

Trump is ready to involve the United States if this is what it takes to eliminate the site, sources said. Thursday morning, he still examined his options and did not make a firm decision in both cases. He discussed the logistics of using bunker-business bombs, according to two sources.

It was not immediately clear what part of the American military infrastructure necessary for a strike was in place or how long it would take to move the assets in position.

An option that Trump has considered is that Iran could deactivate Fordo alone, if its leaders choose, said two of the sources.

David Lammy, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom, is expected to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington later Thursday, a European official said with an active diplomacy in progress to find a ramp filed in the conflict and make an Iranche to take Iranche. London maintains an embassy in Tehran, giving the visibility of the United Kingdom that the United States does not have in the Iranian capital.

Trump is aware of the diplomatic effort undertaken, with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Germany, France and Great Britain, as well as the High Representative of the EU, who should meet the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday.

Trump has seen intelligence reports indicating the estimated speed to which Iran could produce bombs, according to two sources.

John Ratcliffe, the director of the CIA, said in closed circles that Iran is considered to be very close to having nuclear weapons, despite the official line of the intelligence community that the management of Iran did not give an official order to build bombs, according to several sources.

Ratcliffe said that Iran is not close to Iran would be similar to say that football players who fought towards the line of a Yard do not want to score a touchdown, said an American official.

Congress committees that have been informed by CIA’s main analysts have been informed that the opinion of the intelligence community remains that no armament order has been given by the supreme chief and that Iran has not restarted research on a delivery mechanism for a nuclear bomb.

The CIA refused to comment.

“Things change, especially with war”

Trump told journalists on Wednesday that he had not made a final decision On the opportunity to strike Iran.

“I like to make the final decision for a second before it is due, because things change, especially with the war,” he said.

“I can do it. I may not do it. I mean, no one knows what I’m going to do,” he said earlier in the day, adding that he would like Iran to negotiate on an agreement to end his nuclear program.

Iran – which has long insisted that the program only exists for peaceful purposes – said Wednesday He “does not negotiate under duress” and said that he “would respond to any threat with a counter-grandch.”

Iran has prepared missiles and equipment for strikes on American bases in the Middle East if the United States is joining the Israeli campaign, according to a senior American intelligence and a pentagon official informed of the issue.

Israel began to strike Iran last Friday morning. The Trump administration publicly said that it did not participate in the offensive strikes, although CBS News previously reported that the United States had helped Israel to intercept the strikes of reprisals from Iran.

In recent days, Mr. Trump has not excluded the idea of ​​joining Israel’s campaign, saying about social truth, his “patience is thin”.

The president said on Tuesday that the United States knew where Iranian supreme leader are, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “He is an easy target, but he is sure there – we are not going to take him out (kill!), At least not for the moment,” wrote Mr. Trump on Truth Social. Sunday, CBS News reported Mr. Trump opposed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei.