Report: Rubio to meet with Netanyahu as US weighs Iran options
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will reportedly meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on February 28 as the US reportedly could be ready for Iran strike as soon as this week
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel on February 28, according to officials in the Trump administration, as Washington intensifies diplomatic and military preparations amid rising tensions with Iran.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that the visit comes as Iran has agreed to prepare a written proposal addressing U.S. concerns raised during negotiations held this week in Geneva. A senior American official said the document is intended to outline steps to avoid a broader confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
Rubio, who also serves as National Security Advisor in President Donald Trump’s administration, is playing a central role in coordinating U.S. policy.
Senior National Security Council officials met Wednesday in the White House Situation Room to discuss Iran and were briefed that “all forces” needed for a potential military operation are expected to be deployed by mid-March, according to the AP report.
CBS News separately reported that senior U.S. security officials told Trump the military could be ready for possible strikes on Iran as early as this weekend, though any action would likely extend beyond Saturday or Sunday. Trump has not yet made a final decision.
As part of standard Pentagon contingency planning, some U.S. personnel are expected to be moved out of the Middle East over the next several days, primarily to Europe or back to the United States, ahead of a potential operation or Iranian retaliation, CBS reported. One source emphasized the move does not necessarily signal an imminent strike.
The developments follow Netanyahu’s visit to the White House last week, where he urged that any future agreement on Iran’s nuclear program also address Tehran’s ballistic missile capabilities and funding for regional proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah. After that meeting, Trump told reporters that regime change in Iran “seems like the best thing that could happen.”