NBC: U.S. Was Hours From Striking Iran When Trump Announced a Deal

The U.S. military was about three hours away from launching a planned strike on Iran when President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Tehran, NBC reported overnight, citing two American officials. One official said, "The military was already ready, we had the order to carry out the strikes." According to the officials, the Navy had also adjusted its air operations for that day and prepared munitions for the attack.

The sources said Kharg Island was not on the target list, despite Trump’s public threats. They added that the military does have contingency plans for a strike on the island, and even for an invasion, but those are described as standard planning for all available options, not approved operations. One official said Trump’s harsh post "did not match any plan the military intended to carry out."

The planned strikes, which were canceled hours before they were due to begin, were said to resemble the previous night’s U.S. attacks on Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communications systems, and air defense sites across Iran. The officials said the military was more surprised by Trump’s post that effectively canceled the plans than by his threats or his suggestion of seizing Kharg Island.

Trump repeated the idea of taking Kharg Island in a Fox News interview the day before, though he said he was unsure whether America had the courage to do it. He said, "My preference has always been, take the island, that would be my preference. I don't know if America has the courage to do it." He also said he preferred not to hit bridges and power stations, adding, "People won't be able to drink water, I don't want to do that."