President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran will largely be guided by the advice of his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to reports.
Last week, Mr Trump said he was seriously “considering” air strikes against Iran ahead of last-ditch nuclear deal talks in Geneva on Thursday.
The US has been building up its military presence in the region with two of its biggest warships, the USS Gerald R Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln, moving closer to the Iranian coast. They will be supported by fighter jets and naval forces.
On Monday, a US official told The Guardian that Mr Witkoff is part of a group advising the president on how to proceed with Iran after they file their new nuclear proposal later this week.
The President has received multiple briefings on military options, including one on Wednesday in the White House Situation Room, according to the source.
Other advisers include vice president JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio, CIA director John Ratcliffe, defence secretary Pete Hegseth, General Dan Caine who is also chair of the joint chiefs of staff, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
According to the newspaper, Mr Vance is more uncertain about the success of strikes on Iran due to Gen Caine’s concerns about a low stockpile of anti-missile systems.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Gen Caine is “a highly respected professional whose job requires providing unbiased information to the Commander in Chief, which he does perfectly”. She added that he had not been offering his personal views in discussions.
Several options are being discussed, as some advisers have raised doubt over whether strikes will be effective. Other options include allowing Iran to maintain a limited nuclear enrichment for medical research or treatment, and for civilian energy.
Mr Witkoff has said America’s aim is to ensure zero enrichment, but Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi later told CBS that the country was not prepared to relinquish enrichment.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Mr Witkoff said Mr Trump was confused as to why Iran had not “capitulated” amid the US military buildup in the region.
“I don't want to use the word 'frustrated'... because he [Trump] understands he's got plenty of alternatives, but he's curious as to why they haven't... I don't want to use the word 'capitulated', but why they haven't capitulated,” he said.
Both sides have signalled their preparedness for war if talks fail, with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responding to the positioning of aircraft carriers by threatening to sink them.
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