Trump on attack on Iran: ‘I can say I’m considering it’

Trump says decision on what will happen to Iran will be made in the next 10 days United States President Donald Trump said he is considering an unlimited attack on Iran when questioned by reporters this Friday (20). “I guess it’s safe to say I’m considering it,” he said. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The signs that the US may attack Iran United States President Donald Trump said this Thursday (19), at the inaugural meeting of the “Peace Council”, that Iran needs to reach a “significant agreement” in negotiations with the US in the next ten days. Otherwise, “bad things will happen.” He said Washington “will have to go a step further” if there is no deal. “You’ll probably find out in the next ten days,” he said. The American military presence in the Middle East has increased. The US would be prepared to attack Iran as early as this weekend. Trump, however, has not yet decided whether to authorize the action. The information was published by the American press, such as CNN, CBS and The New York Times. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Trump was presented with military options, “all designed to maximize damage.” According to the newspaper, unnamed American officials said there is the possibility of a campaign to “kill dozens of Iranian political and military leaders” with the aim of overthrowing the government. The United States and Iran recently resumed negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, mediated by Oman. Trump had already been threatening military action following the violent crackdown on protesters in January. A second round took place on Tuesday (17), in Geneva. The White House reported that there had been “small diplomatic progress.” “It would be very wise for Iran to reach a deal with President Trump and the administration,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. On Wednesday, in a publication on the Truth Social network, Trump once again suggested a possible attack on Iran. He warned the United Kingdom against renouncing sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, in the Indian Ocean. “Should Iran decide not to make a deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia and the airstrip at Fairford to root out a possible attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime,” he wrote, citing the air base at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands. Personnel withdrawal A combination of satellite images shows an increase in the number of aircraft at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Al Azraq, Jordan, comparing January 16 and February 2, 2026 PLANET LABS PBC/Handout via REUTERS According to CBS, the Pentagon has begun withdrawing some personnel from the Middle East. The measure would be preventive, in the face of possible Iranian actions or counterattacks. Part of the military goes to Europe and the United States. The Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, asked this Thursday that Polish citizens leave Iran immediately. He also advised that, “under no circumstances”, anyone should travel to the country. According to him, the possibility of armed conflict is “very real.” “A few hours from now, 12 hours from now, or a few dozen hours from now, no one will be able to guarantee pick-up options,” Tusk said. “I advise everyone to take this very seriously.” MORE Wilbur/US Military Washington maintains 13 warships in the Middle East: an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln; nine destroyers; and three littoral combat ships. Others are on the way, according to an American official. The ships are equipped with Tomahawk missiles. They are the same ones used to attack two Iranian nuclear facilities last June, according to the New York Times. They also have air defense systems. The USS Abraham Lincoln, with almost 80 aircraft, is about 700 kilometers off the Iranian coast, according to satellite images released on Sunday (15). The USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, approached the Strait of Gibraltar this Wednesday. It is expected to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, the New York Times reported. The ship is accompanied by three destroyers and should reach its destination by the weekend. It is rare for there to be two US aircraft carriers in the Middle East. They carry dozens of warplanes and are crewed by thousands of sailors. The US had two of these ships in the region in June 2025, when they attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities during Israel’s 12-day campaign of attacks against Iran. The fleet also includes F-22 Raptor, F-15 and F-16 fighters, as well as KC-135 refueling aircraft, used to sustain operations. The information comes from open source intelligence accounts (Osint) on the social network X and the website Flightradar24. On Wednesday, Flightradar24 showed several KC-135s flying near or in the Middle East. There were also E3 Sentry warning and control aircraft (Awacs) and cargo planes operating in the region. Repression by the Iranian regime Cars pass by a billboard showing an American aircraft carrier bombed in the center of Tehran, capital of Iran ATTA KENARE / AFP Trump ordered the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln as Iran suppressed protests. The demonstrations began due to economic grievances and turned into a movement against the Islamic Republic. The clerical leadership, in power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, responded to the demonstrations with lethal force. Part of the opposition considers external intervention to be the most likely factor for change. Trump had repeatedly warned the Iranian regime that if it killed protesters, the United States would intervene militarily. He also encouraged Iranian protesters by saying that “help is on the way.” The US president backed down from ordering strikes last month, saying Tehran had suspended more than 800 executions under pressure from Washington. However, since then, it has renewed threats to Iran. Military exercise with Russia Iran releases images of military exercises by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz on February 17, 2026. Wana via Reuters Iran has sought to demonstrate its military power and held military exercises with Russia this Thursday. The maneuvers took place in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean, with the aim of “improving operational coordination, as well as the exchange of military experiences”, state news agency IRNA reported. Footage later released by Iran showed members of the Revolutionary Guard’s naval special forces boarding a ship during the exercise. These forces are believed to have been used to seize vessels on international routes. The Revolutionary Guard also began live ammunition exercises in the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, state TV reported that Tehran would close parts of the waterway during the exercises. Around a fifth of the oil sold in the world passes through this place. Iranian politicians frequently threaten to block the strait. The Iranian theocracy is under pressure after 12 days of Israeli and American attacks on nuclear and military facilities in 2025. It is also facing wear and tear after mass protests in January were violently suppressed. Still, the country maintains the capacity to attack Israel and American bases in the region. The Iranian government says any attack could trigger a regional war. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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