The US military, according to informed sources, was only three hours away from carrying out a large-scale attack against Iranian targets, before Trump abruptly announced the cessation of operations and reaching an understanding with Tehran.
According to the NBC report, the US forces had completed their full preparations, including modifying air operations and preparing munitions, after receiving direct orders to carry out the strikes, and a military source confirmed to the network: "We have already received the order... Everything was ready," he said, noting that the cancelled attacks were similar to those carried out the night before against surveillance, communications and air defence sites inside Iran.
According to the sources, the Kharg Island, which Trump has threatened to seize, was not on the list of targets, despite previous US plans to treat it as a vital hub through which about 90 percent of Iran's oil exports pass. The sources described these plans as "ready-made models" and not approved plans for an attack.
Netanyahu out of negotiations
Axios reported that Trump's announcement of the deal surprised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who found himself out of the loop of seeing the details of the negotiations, prompting him to contact allies within the Trump administration for information.
Despite the surprise, Netanyahu's office issued a brief statement confirming that the agreement was "imminent" and did not publicly oppose it, and the response read: "Although Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the prime minister has expressed his appreciation for President Trump's commitment."
But the statement stressed that a final agreement at the end of the negotiations should include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, the reduction of missile production, and the end of Iran's support for its proxies in the region.
The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that Trump announced as usual on the "Truth Social" platform, the cancellation of the attacks, noting that the "final points" of the agreement "have been agreed upon by all parties."
Despite Trump's statements that the agreement was made with everyone's consent, Tel Aviv was surprised by the announcement, and an Israeli source said, "It doesn't seem that Mujtaba agreed to the agreement, at least not officially. Trump seems keen to keep quiet during the World Cup."
Tehran: Our forces are on 'high alert'
In Tehran, the head of Iran's parliament's national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, warned that any US move against Kharg Island or elsewhere would be met with a response that would be "recorded in history", stressing that Iranian forces were in a "state of high alert".
While Trump asserts that the deal "ended the war" and that Iran agreed not to have a nuclear weapon, U.S. reports suggest that mediators are still working to cement understandings, amid signs that the U.S. president's patience is running out.
Earlier, Axios quoted a US official as saying that "the strikes carried out on Tuesday evening on Iran were aimed at restoring part of the US pressure cards, while being careful that they are calculated so that they do not lead to deaths, and do not close the door to the possibility of reaching an agreement."
"Trump's envoys and regional mediators are still working to try to salvage the negotiations and reach an agreement, but the president's recent remarks may be an indication that his patience is running out," Axios said.
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