The White House spokesperson announced on Tuesday that Donald Trump is willing to use deadly force, although his first choice with Tehran remains diplomacy. “President Trump’s first choice is always diplomacy. But as he has shown… he is prepared to use the deadly force of the United States military if necessary,” warned Caroline Leavitt to reporters at the White House. “The president is always the one who makes the final decisions here.”
Trump has given Iran a deadline from February 19
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to brief top Congressional leaders at the White House later on Tuesday, according to the US State Department. Rubio is expected to brief lawmakers on Iran, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The United States has deployed a massive naval force near Iranian shores in anticipation of possible attacks on the Islamic Republic, Reuters reports. On February 19, Trump said he was giving Tehran about 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement. Trump could reference his threats of strikes against Iran over its nuclear program in his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening.
