US Approves Iran Strike Plans Amid Escalating Tensions, Americans Evacuated from Israel
We are closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East as reports indicate President Donald Trump has privately approved attack plans for Iran, although he has withheld the final order, giving Iran a last chance to abandon its nuclear program. Concurrently, the United States has begun evacuating diplomats and their families from its embassy in Israel, signaling a significant concern for escalation. Our initial optimism that the US might avoid involvement is quickly fading.
Trump’s Stance and Diplomatic Efforts: Our analysis suggests that President Trump is employing a strategy of “maximum pressure” while still attempting to provide Iran with a diplomatic “way out”. Trump himself confirmed that Iran has expressed a desire to meet at the White House for negotiations. However, he indicated that it might be “a little late to meet,” despite acknowledging their willingness to come to the White House. As of now, Iran has reportedly refused to dismantle its nuclear ambitions. We commend President Trump’s restraint in holding off the final order.
Escalating Regional Conflict: The region remains on edge as aerial attacks between Iran and Israel continued today, marking the sixth consecutive day of strikes. This follows Israel’s surprise operation on Friday, which reportedly targeted the heart of Iran’s nuclear program, striking key facilities, nuclear scientists, and high-ranking military leaders. While a US official told ABC News that the US did not provide direct military assistance or involvement in Israel’s Friday strike, we acknowledge that America is “obviously involved” from an intelligence standpoint and through ongoing weapon sales.
Iran has issued stark warnings to Israel, with an operations spokesperson stating, “the thunderous missiles of IRGC’s aerospace force will not let you spend a single moment out of your underground shelters”. Despite reports of Iran firing ballistic missiles, every one of them was reportedly intercepted. The “fog of war is real,” and we are cautious about the accuracy of all incoming information.
US Prepares for Potential Involvement: The decision to evacuate US embassy personnel from Israel, including chief of mission staff, via military flights, strongly suggests that US officials anticipate a “level of escalation”. More military evacuation flights are expected in the coming days, indicating preparations for the situation to “heat up”. President Trump previously told ABC News on Sunday that “It is possible that we could get involved”.
We hold the view that Israel often acts independently, even as some figures like Ted Cruz suggest otherwise, or Trump states “we have control of the skies”. There’s a prevailing feeling that the US might be providing necessary resources while allowing Israel to “play the bad guy” to achieve the shared goal of destroying Iran’s nuclear facility. We are deeply skeptical of the information provided to the American people regarding military interventions, recalling past inaccuracies about Iraq and Afghanistan.
Nuclear Program Remains Core Issue: Our long-held hope remains for Iran to simply abandon its nuclear program, which could de-escalate the entire situation. However, based on our understanding of their faith, we believe surrender is unlikely. If Iran does not halt its nuclear activities, we foresee Trump proceeding with strikes. We do not feel great about the prospect of regime change, which appears to be the goal of many in the government.
Discussions around how to neutralize Iran’s nuclear facilities persist. While some speculate that only a bunker buster from a B2 or B52 bomber could achieve this, we recognize this is “not true”. Israel possesses the capability to deploy ground troops to “wire the place up and detonate it”. Concerns about potential nuclear fallout from a bunker buster strike also loom, as the exact contents and structure of the underground facilities are unknown.
We are constantly praying for peace, though its likelihood appears to be diminishing. We will continue to provide the latest updates as this critical situation unfolds.
