Editor’s note: this story was translated from the original VOA Persian article.
President Donald Trump is keeping “all options on the table” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a White House official told VOA following reports that the U.S. military has drawn up options for potential new strikes against Iran after the midterm election.
The official was responding to a VOA inquiry seeking a response to reports by The Wall Street Journal about the possibility of a new wave of strikes targeting Iran’s missile and drone infrastructure as well as the regime’s nuclear facilities.
Iran warned against escalation in the region and said it was open to diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
Trump this week said the U.S. is weighing options on whether to “finish it off” or reach a deal with Iran. He previously ruled out military action before the U.S. midterms elections next Tuesday.
“We do not comment on sensitive military plans that may or may not exist,” the White House official said in response to a question that that the administration has reached out to U.S. allies in the Gulf about the potential military campaign.
VOA also asked for comment on whether military options were still on the table after the mid-term elections.
“President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the official said.
Trump repeatedly said that Iran would have used a nuclear weapon if it had one. The president this week said the U.S. is monitoring the situation of Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Pickaxe Mountain.
“We know exactly what is going on at Pickaxe Mountain, we know the other three are obliterated … we watch, we have entrances on every one of those that we blew up,” he told Fox News on Sunday.
Iran said its nuclear program is “peaceful”
Iran’s permanent representative to the U.N. Amir Saeid Iravani speaking to the Council claimed that his country’s nuclear program has not posed a threat to international peace and security.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi this week told the U.N. Security Council that despite request from the agency, Iran has not provided information and access so that the IAEA can verify previously declared nuclear material at Iran’s facilities under safeguards.