Trump pushes back on report he approved attack plan for Iran
President Trump on Thursday pushed back on reporting that he had given approval for attack plans against Iran as he publicly insists he has yet to decide on a path forward.
The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday that Trump had approved of attack plans for Iran, but was waiting to give a final order in case Tehran agreed to abandon its nuclear program.
"The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!" Trump posted on Truth Social.
The president did not dispute the substance of the report, and administration officials said Trump was deliberating his options.
Trump on Wednesday morning was non-committal about a potential strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Trump on Wednesday dodged a question about whether he’s moving closer to ordering a strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.
“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do," Trump told reporters. "I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble. And they want to negotiate. And I say why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction.”
Trump met in the Situation Room for a second consecutive day on Wednesday with members of his national security team amid conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran.
The U.S. has not been directly involved in strikes against Iran thus far, and some of Trump’s allies have cautioned against engaging in a war with Iran. But the president’s rhetoric in recent days has gotten more threatening toward Tehran, including a social media post targeting Iran's supreme leader.
Trump has said Iran reached out about potential talks, including a possible meeting at the White House. But the president indicated he wished they had reached out sooner and acknowledged such a meeting would be difficult logistically.