The Trump administration is reportedly actively preparing for fresh military strikes against Iran as of Friday, though no final decision has been made.
President Donald Trump canceled Memorial Day weekend plans to return to the White House, citing unspecified “circumstances pertaining to Government.” Multiple U.S. military and intelligence personnel also scrapped holiday plans, CBS News reported on Friday.
The White House and the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s requests for comment on Friday night.
Uranium Standoff
According to the report, the development comes as Tehran reviews a U.S. nuclear proposal delivered Wednesday, accompanied by a warning that rejecting the so-called final offer could result in renewed strikes.
Complicating talks further, Iran’s supreme leader has reportedly directed that the country’s enriched uranium stockpile must not be sent abroad, directly contradicting Washington’s core demand.
“Iran is dying to make a deal,” Trump said on Friday, adding “We’ll see what happens,” while noting he had given Tehran “a couple of days” to respond to the latest offer.
On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before departing for India, said progress had been made while acknowledging that more work remained. He also referred to discussions with NATO members in Sweden about a possible military effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as a “Plan B” if Iran refused to do so voluntarily.
IRGC Threatens Wider War
Iran’s IRGC warned on Wednesday of “crushing blows in places you cannot even imagine” if strikes resume. The warning came in response to Trump’s disclosure that he had been “an hour away” from ordering a new bombing campaign, but held back to allow more time for diplomatic efforts.
In Washington, earlier this week House Republicans abandoned an effort to vote on limiting Trump’s military authority over Iran, concluding they lacked the votes to advance the measure.
The U.S. president has repeatedly stated preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is the “only thing” that matters.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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