U.S. President Donald Trump is contemplating the possibility of direct U.S. involvement in Israel's attack on Iran, amid reports from Bloomberg News on 18th (local time) that high-ranking officials in the U.S. government are preparing for a scenario in which Iran is attacked within a few days.

President Donald Trump. /Courtesy of UPI=Yonhap News

According to multiple diplomatic sources, the U.S. government has begun military and administrative preparations considering the possibility of direct involvement, as clashes between Iran and Israel have continued for nearly a week. It is also reported that heads of some federal departments are preparing for the possibility of an attack.

Bloomberg analyzed this as a move to lay the groundwork for the U.S. to intervene in a full-scale Middle Eastern war. However, related sources noted that “the situation is still fluid and could change at any moment.”

Some sources hinted that military operations could materialize this weekend. President Trump met with reporters at the White House the same day, stating, “I want to delay the decision on whether to attack until the last second,” indicating that he would withhold final decisions. Previously, he had taken an ambiguous stance, saying, “We could attack, or we could not.”

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that President Trump has already approved plans for airstrikes on Iran but has conveyed to his staff that actual operational orders would be withheld until it is confirmed whether Iran will abandon its nuclear weapons development.

Until recently, President Trump preferred diplomatic solutions like negotiations but is now shifting his focus towards military options. Prominent neocon figures within the Republican Party, such as Senator Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), are strongly urging President Trump to take military action against Iran. Bloomberg added that it has been reported that President Trump has communicated multiple times via currency with Senator Graham recently.