Washington, DC – CBS News reported that a high-level meeting was held on Wednesday, February 18, between top US national security officials and President Donald Trump. He was briefed on the readiness of the US military to begin military operations against Iranian targets as early as next Saturday.
Disagreements over timing and ongoing consultations
Despite talk of military readiness, the network quoted informed sources as saying
that the actual timeline for any action could extend beyond the end of this week.
This discrepancy indicates ongoing intensive deliberations within the US administration regarding the “nature and timing” of the response. In fact, President Trump has not yet made a final decision. The White House is still assessing the following risks. Among these risks is the potential for the region to slide into a full-blown confrontation with Tehran.
Precautionary measures at the Pentagon
In a related development, officials revealed that the Department of Defense (Pentagon) intends to withdraw
some of its forces from the Middle East within the next three days.
This move aims to secure the troops and move them out of range of any potential Iranian retaliatory attacks.
However, a military source clarified that the movement of equipment and personnel is a “routine procedure” within military operational mechanisms. This does not necessarily indicate an imminent attack.
Multiple reasons for the army’s move
For her part, White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt confirmed during a press conference on Wednesday that there were “multiple reasons to attack Iran.” She also emphasized that there was full and high-level coordination between the United States and Israel in this regard.
