Trump asked for options for attacking Iran last week, but held off: source

By Steve Holland

 

FILE PHOTO: Satellite image shows Iran's Natanz Nuclear Facility in Isfahan, Iran, October 21, 2020. Picture taken October 21, 2020 in this image supplied by Maxar Technologies. ©2020 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/Handout via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, with two months left in office, last week asked for options on attacking Iran's main nuclear site, but ultimately decided against taking the dramatic step, a U.S. official said on Monday.

 

Trump made the request during an Oval Office meeting on Thursday with his top national security aides, including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, new acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the official said.

 

Trump, who has refused to concede and is challenging the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election, is to hand over power to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.

 

The official confirmed the account of the meeting in The New York Times, which reported the advisers persuaded Trump not to go ahead with a strike because of the risk of a broader conflict.

 

"He asked for options. They gave him the scenarios and he ultimately decided not to go forward," the official said.

 

The White House declined comment.

 

Trump has spent all four years of his presidency engaging in an aggressive policy against Iran, withdrawing in 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, and imposing economic sanctions against a wide variety of Iranian targets.

 

Trump's request for options came a day after a U.N. watchdog report showed Iran had finished moving a first cascade of advanced centrifuges from an above-ground plant at its main uranium enrichment site to an underground one, in a fresh breach of its 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

 

Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York, said Iran's nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes and civilian use and Trump's policies have not changed that. "However, Iran has proven to be capable of using its legitimate military might to prevent or respond to any melancholy adventure from any aggressor," he added.

 

Iran's 2.4 tonne stock of low-enriched uranium is now far above the deal's 202.8 kg limit. It produced 337.5 kg in the quarter, less than the more than 500 kg recorded in the previous two quarters by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

 

In January, Trump ordered a U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad's airport. But he has shied away from broader military conflicts and sought to withdraw U.S. troops from global hotspots in keeping with a promise to stop what he calls "endless wars."

 

A strike on Iran's main nuclear site at Natanz could flare into a regional conflict and pose a serious foreign policy challenge for Biden.

 

Biden's transition team, which has not had access to national security intelligence due to the Trump administration's refusal to begin the transition, declined comment.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-17

 

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9 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The official confirmed the account of the meeting in The New York Times, which reported the advisers persuaded Trump not to go ahead with a strike because of the risk of a broader conflict.

 

The sooner this debacle of a presidency ends and trump is gone the better

 

9 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

He asked for options. They gave him the scenarios and he ultimately decided not to go forward," the official said

You mean the adults took charge

Edited November 17, 20205 yr by Bluespunk

I guess the good news is that he still asks some advisors and he doesn't just use the nuclear code which he has. 

As far as I understand he could just decide to nuke them and it would happen. Scary, very scary.

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

You mean the adults took charge

On that day. But let's not forget there are still many days until 20th January...

Just now, OneMoreFarang said:

As far as I understand he could just decide to nuke them and it would happen. Scary, very scary.

 

No it wouldn't.

It’s a distraction from the fact he’s been rejected at the polls.

When was it that there was a POTUS who wasn't Evil?

19 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

No it wouldn't.

Do you mean: It would not be scary? or: it would not happen.  Unfortunately, He has the case with the codes, he calls the strike, then the men/women in the silos confirm the code by opening a coded pack of their own, once confirmed the 2 individuals in the silos remove their own keys, insert at the same time, and turn the key in the lock at the same time, they then open up the switch box cover and push the button.  The nukes are then launched.  The US just undertook a successful minuteman missile test from one of the US Missileer base's.  Even if they believed it was morally wrong they would still launch the missile as they are in a blacked out environment and only given the information needed.

https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28201/USAF_Minuteman_III_Missile_Flies_4200_Miles_in_Test#:~:text=U.S.A.F.'s Minuteman III test on October 29%2C 2020.,team of Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center experts.

30 minutes ago, Jack Mountain said:

When was it that there was a POTUS who wasn't Evil?

Sounds like irrelevant what aboutism to me.

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Do you mean: It would not be scary? or: it would not happen.

 

I mean it wouldn't happen. There's technicalities as in technically he could, then there's reality.

 

A preemptive nuclear strike without a build up of intelligence of imminent attack would not, IMO, be launched. Particularly in the current situation. Conventional military action no problem, nuclear is another level. There are checks and balances in place that Hollywood tends to ignore.

54 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

On that day. But let's not forget there are still many days until 20th January...

Many days. Many, many days. Great days, many great days. Maybe the greatest days ever- maybe they will be, maybe they won't, I'm just sayin'. Who knows?' 'To paraphrase the 'great' man himself.????

 

On a serious note I believe there are some stopgaps in place to stop him pushing the button in a fit of pique. I personally will not feel safe until Jan 20- h's just the type to go out with a bang.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, with two months left in office, last week asked for options on attacking Iran's main nuclear site, but ultimately decided against taking the dramatic step, a U.S. official said on Monday

 

Time for a straightjacket and padded cell for him is it not ..

Best idea he has had in 4 years, it's time to stop those lunatics in Tehran once and for all. 

27 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

I mean it wouldn't happen. There's technicalities as in technically he could, then there's reality.

 

A preemptive nuclear strike without a build up of intelligence of imminent attack would not, IMO, be launched. Particularly in the current situation. Conventional military action no problem, nuclear is another level. There are checks and balances in place that Hollywood tends to ignore.

nobody said anything about a nuclear strike on Iran.  

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

nobody said anything about a nuclear strike on Iran.  

 

The person I was replying to did.

4 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Best idea he has had in 4 years, it's time to stop those lunatics in Tehran once and for all. 

Bombing one facility isn't going to stop them once and for all.

14 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

nobody said anything about a nuclear strike on Iran.  

 

I'm not an expert in these matters, but I wonder what the effect is if you bomb a nuclear site

59 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Unfortunately, He has the case with the codes, he calls the strike

The secretary of defense must verify it is an authentic order by the president so it's not necessarily an automatic launch. We can be hopeful there are checks and balances in place to prevent a president from launching a preemptive nuclear strike on his own. Especially this president.

More likely imo the brass just said NO you will not start a war during a pandemic to punish the American people for rejecting you and create more problems for the next administration to fix  I hope we make it safely to Jan 20 noon when we can start to salvage our democracy 

" A US official said"........

I believe in anonymous sources like I believe it never rains or is cold in Britain.

There is an exercise in politics known as kite-flying. Have an idea, leak it for public consumption, see what the public reaction is, then implement or forget it according to the soundings.

31 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

The person I was replying to did.

I should have left out the word nuke and just said bird, as there are many different types of warheads that can be affixed.  Not a Hollywood scenario by the way, it is from past personal experience. 

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I should have left out the word nuke and just said bird, as there are many different types of warheads that can be affixed

 

Not a problem, the person I was replying to initially, which led to your subsequent question, was worried about nukes. I agreed with your point above re conventional, just disagreed that a nuclear strike comes down to a whim of the current President that the original BM was putting forward (hence the Hollywood comment).

3 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

Not a problem, the person I was replying to initially, which led to your subsequent question, was worried about nukes. I agreed with your point above re conventional, just disagreed that a nuclear strike comes down to a whim of the current President that the original BM was putting forward (hence the Hollywood comment).

Thanks for the clarification, just as I clarified my response.  Yes there is a step in between the President and the specific silo which is then designated by STRATCOM based upon telemetry and type of warhead affixed

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a U.N. watchdog report showed Iran had finished moving a first cascade of advanced centrifuges from an above-ground plant at its main uranium enrichment site to an underground one, in a fresh breach of its 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

 

....

 

Iran's 2.4 tonne stock of low-enriched uranium is now far above the deal's 202.8 kg limit.

 

none of which would have occurred had the stable genius not pulled out of the jcpoa.

 

winning!!!!!!!!!!

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I guess the good news is that he still asks some advisors and he doesn't just use the nuclear code which he has. 

As far as I understand he could just decide to nuke them and it would happen. Scary, very scary.

I think that is a  Hollywood  scenario in real terms.

Well  hopefully!

I am sure the connection to the  "Bigger than  yours" button was isolated  some time  back.

 

1 hour ago, Phoenix Rising said:

Bombing one facility isn't going to stop them once and for all.

In fact  might exacerbate the reactionary  call  for  usage of  what may already  exist !

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

President Donald Trump, with two months left in office, last week asked for options on attacking Iran's main nuclear site, but ultimately decided against taking the dramatic step, a U.S. official said on Monday.

 Trump With two months left to his term in office! Which official was that!

Edited November 17, 20205 yr by riclag
txt

Would Trump, under duress both personally and from advice  of delusional  sychophants resort to the usual tactics of a Republican regime of instigating a  major  war?

2 minutes ago, riclag said:

 Trump With two months left to his term in office! Which official was that!

Numbers !  Even retards  can learn to  count ! Maybe with   visual aids but  can learn !

 

1 hour ago, KeeTua said:

The secretary of defense must verify it is an authentic order by the president so it's not necessarily an automatic launch. We can be hopeful there are checks and balances in place to prevent a president from launching a preemptive nuclear strike on his own. Especially this president.

"Especially this President"  Just how many wars has he initiated!