U.S. Set to Strike Iran: Trump’s Countdown to War Begins
“Trump’s trade war may dominate headlines, but it’s merely a distraction. A real war is coming,” Dan Hodges
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - As the world fixates on Donald Trump’s aggressive trade war, a far graver confrontation looms on the horizon. According to senior Israeli political, military, and diplomatic sources, the United States and Israel are preparing to launch an airstrike against Iran’s nuclear sites—an operation that could reshape the Middle East and beyond.
Israeli officials have long warned that Iran’s nuclear ambitions threaten global stability, but now they believe the moment of reckoning has arrived.
“This should have been avoided a long time ago,” a senior Israeli government source told Dan Hodges, a British political columnist known for his work with the Daily Mail in Tel Aviv. “It’s time to draw a line.”
Trump himself signaled the impending escalation earlier this week, declaring, “If they [Iran] don’t make a deal, there will be bombing… the likes of which they have never seen before.” While some dismissed this as Trumpian bluster, sources in both Washington and Jerusalem insist the threat is real.
A Military Operation in Motion
The evidence is mounting. Last week, the U.S. deployed three B2 ‘Spirit’ stealth bombers to Diego Garcia, a critical airbase in the Indian Ocean. These bombers, now totaling seven at the base, are uniquely capable of delivering the GBU-57 ‘Bunker Buster’—a weapon specifically designed to penetrate Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities.
Israeli military operations over the past year have also paved the way. Airstrikes in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq have systematically dismantled Iran’s proxy defense systems, reducing Tehran’s ability to retaliate.
The campaign in Lebanon has neutralized Hezbollah’s missile threat, the Gaza offensive has crippled Hamas, and renewed action against the Houthis has weakened Iran-backed forces in Yemen. Meanwhile, the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has left Iran without its strongest regional ally.
An Israeli military source explained: “We had to remove all obstacles before considering a direct strike on Iran. We have done that.”
Iran on the Brink
The trigger for this escalation came in February when a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed a sharp increase in Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
“Iran is the only non-nuclear state enriching at this level,” IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned, adding, “This is cause for serious concern.”
Intelligence officials believe Iran is much closer to achieving nuclear weapons capability than previously estimated. A senior diplomatic source put it bluntly: “We don’t have the luxury of waiting anymore.”
Further fueling tensions, Israel holds Iran responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attacks. “They are the head of the snake,” one Israeli politician told Hodges. The trauma of that day still lingers, reinforcing the belief that Iran must be confronted directly.
The Countdown Begins
Trump has given Iran a deadline: By the end of May, Tehran must dismantle key components of its nuclear program and readmit the inspectors it expelled in 2023.
If Iran refuses, airstrikes will follow.
“Iran sees nuclear weapons as the only thing that truly scares Trump,” a senior British diplomat told Hodges. “They believe their best strategy is to keep pushing.”
According to Hodges, Israel sees things differently. “October 7 is seared into the national consciousness. Walk through the Nir Oz kibbutz or stand outside the Bibas family home, where a child’s toy box still sits untouched, and you begin to understand the depth of grief fueling Israel’s determination.”
“Israelis are not waiting for another attack. They want a reckoning,” he added.
“Trump’s trade war may dominate headlines, but it’s merely a distraction. A real war is coming.”
