The US and Iran remain far apart on some issues and Tehran would be “wise” to make a deal to forestall a war, the White House said as the military reportedly told President Donald Trump it could be ready to begin strikes as soon as Saturday.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump's preference was for a diplomatic solution to defuse the crisis that has left the region on the brink of another conflict but noted that “there's many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran.”
Top national security officials have reportedly told Mr Trump that the military is ready for potential strikes as soon as Saturday, but that he has not yet made a decision about whether to strike, CBS News reported, citing sources.
“We're still very far apart on some issues,” she said, referring to talks this week over Iran's nuclear programme. “I believe the Iranians are expected to come back to us with some more detail in the next couple of weeks, and so the President will continue to watch how this plays out.
“Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration.”
While the Trump administration has seemingly kept the door open for diplomacy with Iran, there are signs that US strikes are the likeliest outcome.
Two aircraft carrier strike groups have been assigned to the region to provide firepower and air capabilities for a sustained military campaign against Iran, and publicly available flight tracking information showed a steady stream of American warplanes heading to the region this week.
Two members of Congress, Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, said they would introduce legislation that would force a vote on whether the US should go to war.
“A war with Iran would be catastrophic. Iran is a complex society of 90 million people with significant air defences and military capabilities,” Mr Khanna wrote on X. “We also have 30-40 [thousand] US troops in the region who could be at risk of retaliation. Congress must do its job and stop this march to war.”
Congress in 2001 and 2002 approved the use of military force in Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively. But the Republican-led body has offered little push back on the many military campaigns launched by Mr Trump since his return to office last year, including the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and the raid on Venezuela's then-leader Nicolas Maduro.
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday reported that Mr Trump has been briefed on military options, including a campaign to kill Iranian political and military leaders that could result in the toppling of the government. Another option would be to strike nuclear and ballistic-missile targets.
