The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump informed his senior officials of his approval of plans to attack Iran, but postponed issuing the final order for now.
Sources told the newspaper that Trump is waiting to see whether Iran will agree to abandon its nuclear program, something that is almost certain not to happen. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected the US president's calls for surrender, stressing that Tehran's position is that it will not negotiate while Israel is under attack.
Iran also has no reason to trust the United States at this time, since Trump supported the Israeli attack amid negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Trump declined to say whether he would launch airstrikes on Iran, telling reporters on Wednesday: "I have ideas about what to do, but I haven't made a final decision yet - I'd rather make a final decision a second in advance."
The newspaper report did not specify the attack plans approved by Trump, but they are likely to include US airstrikes on the Fordow nuclear facility, which is buried deep underground, making it impossible to inflict significant damage without US bunker-buster bombs and the heavy bombers needed to drop them.
Iran has made it clear that it will respond if the United States launches airstrikes, as many American bases in the region are within range of Iranian missiles. Trump may plan limited airstrikes to destroy Fordow, but American casualties could push the United States deeper into the war.
Israeli officials expect the United States to intervene with direct attacks on Iran soon. An Israeli official told CNN on Tuesday, "The entire process is predicated on the fact that the United States will join in at some point."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the war on June 13, claiming to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. However, US intelligence assessed that Tehran was not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
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Trump secretly approved plans to attack Iran but did not issue the final order.