An attack is not imminent, American officials have told the outlet
The US is not ready to strike Iran as it needs to deploy more air defenses to the Middle East to be able to repel a possible retaliation, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing unnamed American officials.
Over the past few weeks, Washington has dispatched what US President Donald Trump described as a “massive and beautiful armada” to the Middle East, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, to pressure Tehran into accepting a new nuclear deal.
Despite the buildup, American airstrikes on Iran “aren’t imminent” because Washington needs to make sure that Israel, its Arab allies and US forces in the region are properly protected, the WSJ said in an article on Sunday, citing its sources.
The Pentagon is currently moving additional Thaad battery and Patriot air defense systems to bases hosting American troops in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and elsewhere, defense officials told the outlet.