WASHINGTON, February 19. /TASS/. The US administration is considering the possibility of striking Iran this weekend, but no final decision has been made yet, CBS News reported, citing sources.

According to their information, national security officials reported to US President Donald Trump that "the military is ready for potential strikes on Iran as soon as Saturday, but the timeline for any action is likely to extend beyond this weekend." CBS News points out that "Trump has not yet made a final decision about whether to strike" and that the White House "weighs the risks of escalation and the political and military consequences of restraint" from a potential attack.

Trump said on January 26 that a "massive armada" was heading toward Iran. He expressed hope that Tehran would return to the negotiating table and conclude a "fair and equitable" deal, implying a complete renunciation of nuclear weapons. In response, Tehran warned that any attack on Iran will entail threats to the United States and its allies’ entire military infrastructure in the Middle East.

On February 17, the second round of negotiations between the US and Iran on the nuclear issue took place in Geneva, mediated by Oman. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the parties reached mutual understanding on a number of issues, agreements on which could be included in a draft future agreement on the nuclear program. US Vice President JD Vance said that the talks went well on a number of aspects, but Tehran is not yet ready to accept some of the fundamental positions outlined by the White House. The parties have not disclosed the time and place of the next round of talks.