Trump approves Iran strike plans but withholds final order amid Israel-Iran escalation

US President Donald Trump has reportedly approved military strike plans targeting Iran but chose to delay the final order, according to The Wall Street Journal. The decision was allegedly made to allow Tehran one last opportunity to abandon its nuclear programme.

As the armed conflict between Israel and Iran entered its seventh day on Thursday, questions continued to mount over possible US involvement. 

While Trump has, as per sources, shown conditional support for military action, he has not confirmed a definitive course.

When addressing the media earlier this week, Trump neither confirmed nor denied any decision, suggesting that his intentions remained uncertain. 

He later claimed that Iranian officials had expressed interest in holding talks in Washington, although he reportedly considered such diplomatic gestures too delayed to be meaningful.

Meanwhile, European diplomatic efforts are ongoing. Foreign ministers from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are scheduled to meet with Iran’s foreign minister in Geneva on Friday.

Amid rising tensions, residents in Tehran were seen evacuating the city on Wednesday. Reports indicate heavy traffic on highways leading out of the capital as Israeli airstrikes intensified.

Trump, when questioned about the potential fall of the Iranian regime, reportedly stated that such an outcome was within the realm of possibility. 

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his first public remarks since the escalation, issued a stern warning against any US military intervention. He stated that such action would lead to serious, irreversible consequences and that the Iranian public would not yield under external pressure.