By: Fern Sidman

With tensions between Israel and Iran already surging toward the boiling point, the Trump administration is now moving swiftly toward the possible launch of a coordinated air campaign targeting key components of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. According to multiple high-level sources cited by World Israel News, President Donald Trump has given preliminary approval for U.S. airstrikes, though he has not yet signed off on a final order to attack.

The reported plans—confirmed by The Wall Street Journal and widely echoed across Bloomberg News, ABC News, and World Israel News—signal a potentially transformative moment in the evolving conflict between Western powers and the Islamic Republic. While Israel continues its own series of precision strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets, the United States appears increasingly poised to enter the fray directly, shifting the dynamic from proxy confrontation to open strategic engagement.

President Trump, according to three individuals familiar with internal White House deliberations and cited by The Wall Street Journal, has communicated to his national security advisers that he is in favor of a U.S. military response aimed squarely at dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities. However, the president is reportedly delaying the final order to allow Tehran a narrow window to capitulate.

“I have ideas on what to do,” Trump told reporters at a press availability Wednesday afternoon. “But I haven’t made a final—I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due.”

According to the information provided in the World Israel News report. this deliberate ambiguity is characteristic of Trump’s strategic posture—calculated unpredictability designed to maximize diplomatic leverage while keeping adversaries off balance. The administration’s logic appears to be that the credible threat of overwhelming force may yet prompt Iran’s leadership to reconsider its nuclear posture before missiles are fired.

One facility looms large in both military and political discussions: Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment plant, an underground complex that has long eluded the reach of Israeli conventional capabilities. Located outside the city of Qom and embedded in the rock face of a mountain, Fordow is considered by Western defense analysts to be one of the most heavily fortified nuclear installations in the world.

As ABC News reported, President Trump has “warmed up” to proposals involving targeted strikes on Fordow, especially with increasing intelligence indicating heightened enrichment activity at the site. Though smaller than Iran’s well-known Natanz facility—which Israel reportedly damaged in a recent covert operation—Fordow’s location and design present a unique challenge to kinetic attacks.

The estimated depth of Fordow varies between assessments. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi recently estimated the facility to be buried nearly half a mile underground, though more conservative intelligence suggests a depth closer to 100 meters (328 feet). Regardless, the World Israel News report noted that Fordow remains far beyond the reach of Israel’s heaviest bunker-busting bombs, including the 5,000-pound GBU-28.

Only one weapon in the American arsenal is known to possess the necessary penetrative capability: the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound behemoth specifically designed for deeply buried targets. Deployed exclusively by the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the GBU-57 is a strategic asset whose use would signal a serious escalation in U.S. engagement.

While President Trump’s decision remains officially pending, Bloomberg News cited senior administration officials who stated preparations are already underway, and that the opening phase of strikes could begin as early as this coming weekend. The Pentagon has reportedly raised the alert level of key air wings stationed in the Gulf and Mediterranean regions, and satellite data suggests increased flight patterns around Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

At the same time, World Israel News reported growing coordination between U.S. and Israeli military intelligence units, with particular focus on deconfliction protocols and shared targeting priorities. Despite its formidable air defense systems and extensive strike capacity, Israel lacks the strategic assets to reach Fordow unilaterally. A U.S.-led air campaign would thus fill a critical gap in Israeli defense objectives, especially as Iran appears increasingly emboldened in its regional posture.

While the military dimension of the plan is rapidly crystallizing, the geopolitical consequences are anything but simple. President Emmanuel Macron of France, in remarks following the recent G7 summit, claimed Trump had privately suggested a ceasefire arrangement followed by negotiations. Trump swiftly denied the comment, reinforcing his desire to control the diplomatic narrative.

European officials, speaking to World Israel News, expressed concern that any U.S. strikes could jeopardize ongoing backchannel diplomacy with Iran, including potential EU-led efforts to resume nuclear negotiations under modified terms. However, many acknowledge that Israel’s continued unilateral strikes, combined with Iran’s escalating provocations, have rendered the diplomatic landscape increasingly fragile.

“We are entering a phase where the military calculus may dictate the political one,” one senior British official told World Israel News. “If Fordow is hit, it will mark the beginning of a fundamentally new chapter.”

As the world watches, President Trump’s signature brinkmanship is once again being tested in one of the world’s most volatile theaters. With Fordow in his sights and Iran standing firm on its right to enrich uranium, the question now is not whether war can be avoided, but whether a final chance for diplomacy will expire before bunker-busting bombs begin to fall.

The next 72 hours may prove to be the most consequential of Trump’s second term—and a defining inflection point in the Middle East’s nuclear future. For now, the countdown continues.