FLASH
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Background and indications that the US president backed down at the last minute and did not attack Iran
German newspaper Bild has published new details about the behind-the-scenes story behind a last-minute decision by US President Donald Trump not to launch an air strike on Iran, even though everything indicated that a military confrontation was imminent. At the same time, according to the British network Sky News, the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has set sail for the Middle East, a move that is increasing tensions in the region.
According to Bild, all signs on Wednesday evening indicated that the US was preparing for a military intervention in Iran: fighter jets had taken to the air and the evacuation of US military personnel who had no essential role in the region had begun. At the same time, the airspace over Iran was closed and tanker planes were launched from a US military base in Qatar for air supplies – a move that usually precedes a large-scale air offensive.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to the New York Times, stated that long-range bombers were on standby to carry out secondary strikes if the situation required it. But in the meantime, Trump publicly emerged from the Oval Office and said that the Iranian regime had no intention of executing protesters, creating the impression that a military clash had been postponed until another moment.
Bild newspaper recalls that it is difficult to know what Trump is really thinking and refers to the precedent of last June, when he simulated a conflict with Netanyahu to hide the launch of an air strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. However, according to Israeli military analyst Amir Mohbot, who cites his own internal sources, this time Trump actually stopped the attack himself at the last moment and told his advisers that he would only strike Iran if it was certain that the regime would fall.
But Trump's advisers could not provide such a guarantee. Instead, they warned that the US probably does not have enough troops and logistics in the region to deal with a potential Iranian response, which is expected to be harsh and widespread across the Middle East.
Meanwhile, sources at NewsNation confirm that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has departed the South China Sea and is following orders from US Central Command, which covers operations in Asia and the Middle East. Satellite imagery from Wednesday shows it passing through waters near the Philippines.
All of these developments suggest that Washington, while it may have postponed a direct confrontation, is far from backing down – and that the military option against Tehran always remains on the table.
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