"Trump, Concerned About 'Bombing Iran's Nuclear Facilities,' Spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Right After NSC"
Summary
- It was reported that US President Donald Trump spoke with the Israeli Prime Minister immediately after the National Security Council (NSC) meeting.
- It was noted that the US indicated the potential to shift from existing defensive support to a direct offensive against Iran.
- It was stated that, regarding a direct attack targeting Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, special weapons and a B-2 strategic bomber were mentioned.
Signals Transition from Defensive Support to Direct Offensive Against Iran
Trump Issues Consecutive Hardline Messages…"Unconditional Surrender"
Donald Trump, President of the United States, is reported to have spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after concluding a National Security Council (NSC) meeting.
US media outlet Axios reported on the 17th (local time), citing Israeli sources, that President Trump presided over an NSC in the White House Situation Room for about 1 hour and 20 minutes and spoke with Netanyahu immediately after the meeting ended.
The two leaders' conversation took place as the US was considering a direct strike against Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, which is located underground in a mountainous region. This could indicate that the US might shift from its existing defensive support role to a direct offensive against Iran.
The Fordow nuclear facility, cited as a main target by Israel, is known to be difficult to destroy with conventional bombing and would require the use of specialized US weapons such as bunker buster bombs and B-2 strategic bombers to neutralize it.
Trump has recently been making a series of hardline statements against Iran via social media.
Aiming at Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he stated, "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," and added, "He is an easy target, but for now, he is safe there. We will not eliminate (kill) him. At least, not now."
Some reports stated that Israel previously aimed to eliminate Khamenei in this airstrike but President Trump refused. Trump emphasized, "We do not want missiles to be launched at civilians or American soldiers," and highlighted, "Our patience is running thin." In a subsequent post, he urged, "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"
Song-ryul Lee, Hankyung.com Reporter yisr0203@hankyung.com
Korea Economic Daily
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