President Trump on Thursday threatened to carry out his biggest attack yet on Iran amid growing signs that the US is preparing to escalate the war after 12 consecutive nights of airstrikes.
“I am considering a massive attack,” Trump told Axios reporter Barak Ravid. “Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it.”
The president didn’t elaborate on what he was planning, but he has previously threatened to launch massive strikes targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran, including bridges, power plants, and water desalination plants.
Trump has also signaled that he may bomb Picakaxe Mountain, known as Kolang Kouh, where US and Israeli officials have claimed there may be underground nuclear activity, claims Iran has denied. Israeli media reported on Wednesday that the US informed Israel that it intends to escalate its attacks on Iran in the coming days and may use heavy bombers to target the mountain.
Despite the US being at war with Iran “at the request” of Israel, according to the official State Department rationale, Israel has sat out the war since the ceasefire and Memorandum of Understanding collapsed.
Trump told Ravid that Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to,” but added that “we don’t need anybody” to launch a new attack against Iran. He said that there would be “consequences” for Israel if it joined, appearing to reference potential Iranian retaliation against Israeli territory.
Iran has been targeting US bases across the region, and at least four US soldiers have been killed, and around 100 have been wounded this month, but Iranian missiles and drones have spared Israel, as the Israeli military hasn’t participated in direct attacks on Iran.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said this week that the “current situation is best” for Israel and that Israel had no interest in joining the war.
