Trump Sanctions Iran Strike Strategy as Final Call Remains Unconfirmed

President Donald Trump has granted preliminary approval for a military strike against Iran, though he has refrained from making a definitive decision to launch the operation, according to reports from CBS News, the BBC's US partner. A senior intelligence source indicated that Trump delayed initiating any attacks to allow Iran an opportunity to abandon its nuclear program voluntarily.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly dismissed Trump's demand for unconditional surrender in a recorded speech on Wednesday, vowing that "any US military intervention" would incur heavy costs and declaring, "The Iranian nation will not surrender." Trump responded flippantly, stating "good luck" and emphasizing that "nobody knows what I'm going to do," while reiterating his stance that Iran must capitulate without conditions.

Meanwhile, tensions have intensified with Israel conducting additional attacks on Iranian missile sites and nuclear facilities, including the underground Fordo uranium enrichment plant. Iran claimed it retaliated with hypersonic missiles, though no significant damage was reported in Israel. Casualty figures compiled by Human Rights Activists show 585 fatalities from Israeli strikes in Iran, including 239 civilians, while Israeli authorities reported 24 civilian deaths from Iranian missile barrages.

The US military has bolstered its presence in the region, with the USS Nimitz carrier group en route to join the USS Carl Vinson in the Gulf, alongside deployments of refuelling tankers and advanced fighter jets. Diplomatic efforts are underway, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to meet UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy for talks focused on Iran. However, the UK has not received formal requests to permit US strikes from its bases in Diego Garcia or Cyprus, and an evacuation plan has been issued for Americans in Israel.

Adding to the unrest, Iranian state TV dismissed an apparent satellite hack that broadcast calls for public uprising against the regime, attributing it to "enemy jamming" during ongoing protests in Tehran.