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The Trump administration asked the Pentagon for "far-reaching military options" to attack Iran, report says

13-1-2019 < Blacklisted News 40 206 words
 


The Trump administration asked the Pentagon for “far-reaching military options” to attack Iran in September, causing concern among military and diplomatic officials, according to a new report.


The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that, following a mortar attack by militants allegedly linked to Iran targeting the area where the U.S. embassy in Baghdad is located, President Donald Trump’s National Security Council led by John Bolton requested the Pentagon to draw up plans for a potential strike on Iran. Although it’s unclear whether Trump personally knew that Bolton’s team had made the request, it caused concern among Pentagon and State Department officials, according to the article.


“It definitely rattled people,” a former senior U.S. administration official told the newspaper. “People were shocked. It was mind-boggling how cavalier they were about hitting Iran.”


Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told WSJ that it’s the team’s job to “provide” the president with “options” in anticipation of threats. He added that the council continues “to review the status of our personnel following attempted attacks on our embassy in Baghdad and our Basra consulate, and we will consider a full range of options to preserve their safety and our interests.”


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