Donald Trump had to be talked out of launching an attack on Iran in the closing weeks of his time in the White House, a new report claims.
The president reportedly asked top White House advisers last week for “options” to strike the country’s nuclear facilities, but senior officials talked him out of it. As The New York Times reported, Trump raised the issue after international inspectors said there was an increase in nuclear materials in its stockpile, but top advisers warned that military action could likely lead to a wide conflict.
“Mr. Trump was reportedly told by vice president Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others that such action could lead to a wider escalation of conflict in the final weeks of his presidency,” the outlet wrote.
Trump has already come under fire for his approach to Iran, which included pulling the United States out of the nation’s nuclear deal crafted under Barack Obama — one that Trump had long scorned. The president drew more controversy when he ordered a strike that killed top Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, which led Iran to launch a rocket attack on American troops stationed in Iraq. Per The Inquisitr , the Trump administration initially said that no troops were injured, but the Pentagon later reported that more than 100 soldiers suffered traumatic brain injuries from the attack.
The report claiming Trump was considering new military action against Iran came after tensions appeared to have cooled, with no further actions following the series of strikes.
While he has reportedly pushed for a strong stance against Iran behind closed doors, Trump has been publicly tough on the country as well. In an interview with Rush Limbaugh in October, he warned the country to take things seriously as it was being put on notice.
“If you f*ck around with us, if you do something bad to us, we are gonna do things to you that have never been done before.”
The new reports on Trump come as he refuses to concede the election despite the race having been called for his opponent, Joe Biden. The administration has not begun any of the informal transition processes that normally take place immediately after an election, leading some political experts to worry that the lack of cooperation could create a national security risk.
As The Hill noted, former national security adviser Susan Rice said Trump’s refusal to hold meetings with Biden’s transition team is putting American interests at risk, saying that “without access to critical threat information, no incoming team can counter what it can’t see coming.”