The White House’s national security team has asked the Pentagon on Sunday, to provide them with options to strike Iran, after Bhagdad, home to the United States (US) embassy, was fired with mortars by a group of militants aligned with Tehran, according to a source familiar with the incident reported.
According to Reuters news reports, to respond to a request by the White House, the Pentagon drew up options, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and which originated by John Bolton, who leads the White House national security council, the source said.
Citing former and current US officials, the source reported that the White House request has sparked deep concerns among the state department and Pentagon officials.
The WSJ has also reported that it was still unclear whether the Pentagon has provided options to the White House, or whether the US President Donald Trump knew anything about the request or whether some serious plans regarding striking Iran took shape at that time.
The decision to opt options from the Pentagon was prompted by three mortars which were being fired into a diplomatic quarter in September in Baghdad, the source said.
However, the US state department refused to comment immediately on the reports. The Pentagon said it has provided Trump with options for a variety of threats.
NSC spokesman Garrett Marquis said the NSC reflects the same and will continue to consider “the full range of options” after the attacks.