US President Donald Trump appears to be increasingly considering the possibility of a large-scale ground operation against Iran, The Times of Israel reports, citing sources from intermediary countries between Washington and Tehran.
According to an official briefed on the diplomatic efforts, Washington believes Iran could be forced to back down in the face of such military pressure. Behind the scenes, however, the US acknowledges that Tehran is unlikely to accept the conditions set out in the 15-point US plan for ending the conflict.
The report notes that the US has deployed thousands of troops to the region, with the aim of taking control of Iran's strategic Kharg Island, a key target for oil exports.
According to the mediation sources, Iran is not expected to surrender, regardless of whether a ground operation is undertaken. However, they estimate that Tehran may now be more willing to accept some conditions that it had previously rejected.
Trump has also announced the extension of the deadline he had set for Iran to accept the 15-point agreement until Friday, warning that otherwise it will face a wave of bombings of energy infrastructure.
At the same time, thousands of other US Marines have been put on standby for any possible scenario, while tensions in the region remain high.
