Khaberni - The Associated Press reports that the Security Council will hold closed consultations on Iran today, Friday, based on a Russian request.
The agency quoted UN diplomats saying that Russia requested a meeting regarding the American-Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure in Iran, noting that America, which presides over the Security Council, set the meeting date.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iranian power stations if Tehran did not open the Strait of Hormuz to international navigation, then he extended the deadline twice, announcing yesterday, Thursday, a 10-day grace period lasting until April 6th, to reach a peace agreement, threatening to destroy Iranian power stations if this does not happen.
These developments coincide with what appears to be a potential escalation in the ongoing war for 4 weeks, as CNN reported from sources that the Department of Defense (Pentagon) had moved from the stage of air strikes to initial plans for ground operations inside Iran, a shift considered by the sources an indication of Washington's readiness to expand military action if ongoing diplomatic efforts fail.
According to the same sources, the Pentagon has prepared multiple scenarios for deploying ground forces to seize specific targets within Iranian territory, but these plans face widespread reservations within the military establishment due to concerns about the possibility of significant U.S. troop losses in the event of any extended incursion.
The Wall Street Journal also reported, citing officials from the Pentagon, that the Trump administration is considering sending up to 10,000 additional American troops to the Middle East as part of plans to strengthen the military options available to the president.
