On June 18, US officials are getting ready for the chance they might strike Iran soon. The situation is still shifting, so things could change. According to sources Bloomberg talked to, these strikes might happen by the end of this weekend.
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US approves attack plan on Iran but final order not yet given
● On the 18th, local time, three well-connected sources said that President Trump told his top advisors on the evening of June 17 that he had given the go-ahead for a plan to attack Iran. However, he wasn't ready to give the final okay yet, hoping Iran might drop its nuclear ambitions first.
● Some reports suggest that Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, which is built deep inside a mountain and heavily guarded, might be a target for U.S. strikes. Experts say only the biggest bunker-busting bombs could have any real chance of doing damage to it.
Trump questions effectiveness of US bunker-busting bombs
● A senior advisor to President Trump recently said that Trump has been thinking about a big question: if the U.S. gets involved in the Israeli conflict and uses a lot of bunker-busting bombs on Iran, would those bombs actually be able to take out Iran’s heavily protected nuclear sites.
● A U.S. official mentioned that Trump directly asked his military advisors if the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) could take out Fordow, one of Iran's main nuclear sites. Reports say that Trump's uncertainty about whether a strike would work is part of what’s making him think about whether to go ahead with an attack.
● A U.S. official said that Trump wants to make sure any strikes are really needed, actually can stop Iran’s nuclear plans, and won't start a long war in the Middle East. The official mentioned that Defense Department folks told Trump they’re confident the attack would work, but it’s not clear if Trump fully agrees.
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US aircraft carrier turns off transponder, halts position transmission
● Russia’s Sputnik news agency reported on the 18th that, according to ship tracking data, the US Nimitz aircraft carrier is heading toward the Middle East. It’s also turned off its transponder, so its exact position can’t be seen right now. Earlier, US media outlet Navy Times quoted military officials saying that as the fighting between Israel and Iran heats up, the US Navy is moving the Nimitz from the Indo-Pacific region to the Middle East to boost defenses.
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