American state and military officials were disturbed by the request of John Bolton, President Donald Trump's national security adviser, to the Pentagon, in which he asked for options for a military attack on Iran, the world media write.
The White House asked for options for attacking Iran
According to the Wall Street Journal, the request published on Sunday was actually sent to the Pentagon last year, after a group of militants fired three mortars in September at the diplomatic district in Baghdad, near the US embassy building.
The shells - fired by a group linked to Iran - landed in the parking lot and there were no injuries. But what is troubling to US officials is that the National Security Council (NSC) led by John Bolton requested far-reaching military options to attack Iran "in response to attacks that caused little damage and where no injuries were reported," the paper said.
"It definitely shook people," a former senior administration official said of the request. "People were shocked. It was amazing how much they wanted to hit Iran."
The Pentagon complied with the NSC's request to develop options for striking Iran, officials said. "But it is not clear whether the proposals were submitted to the White House, whether Trump knew about the request, or whether serious plans for a US attack on Iran were being considered at the time."
The WSJ emphasizes that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who visited the US embassy in Baghdad this month, joined forces with National Security Adviser John Bolton in developing a more aggressive policy aimed at weakening the government in Tehran.
Pompeo"We will not stand by while the regime threatens international security," Pompeo said in a tweet on Jan. 3, after Iran announced plans to launch two satellites into space, and Bolton also said during a visit to Israel this month that Trump ready to attack Iran if it judges that Tehran is close to developing nuclear weapons.
A 'staggering' request
The request sent by the National Security Council to the Pentagon asking for options for a possible military attack on Iran was evaluated by the British Guardian as "astounding", noting that a direct American attack on Iran could start a conflict between the two nations that would be difficult to stop, and that there are already hardliners in both camps calling for military conflict.
The Guardian adds that Secretary of State Pompeo declined to comment on a request to the Pentagon on Sunday when reporters questioned him about his tour of the Middle East, which is largely aimed at maintaining Arab solidarity against Iran.
After the end of his visit to Qatar and before leaving for Saudi Arabia, Pompeo spoke about the planned anti-Iranian ministerial conference, which, at the American initiative, will be held in Warsaw in February this year.
"There will be a broad coalition of countries present," he said, "and we will be working on many issues, including how to get the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave more like a normal nation."
The Guardian also reminds that last year President Trump made the decision to withdraw the US from the 2015 international agreement on Iran's nuclear program, and that he implemented a campaign of intense sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The president's order to withdraw US troops from Syria, which were located near Iranian troops and Iran-backed militants, was labeled by the Trump administration as a "defeat for the Iranian hawks."
However, the Guardian concludes, with high-ranking hardliners on both sides, the potential for unplanned conflict remains high, "particularly in the congested Gulf sea lanes or in Iraq."
Actions of 'belligerent Bolton'
Senior Pentagon officials express deep concern that Bolton, the US president's "warfare national security adviser", could instigate a conflict with Iran at a time when Trump, by withdrawing US troops, is losing influence in the Middle East, writes the New York Times.
Since taking over as national security adviser in April of last year, Bolton has intensified the administration's policy of isolating and pressuring Iran -- reflecting an animosity toward Iran's leaders that dates back to his time as an official in the George W. Bush administration.
Later, as a citizen, he called for military attacks on Iran, as well as regime change, the New York Times recalls.
"Bolton has made progress on some issues, convincing Trump to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, but has had less success on other issues, such as keeping U.S. military forces in northeast Syria to counter Iranian influence -- and what Bolton promised just weeks before the president announced his withdrawal in December."
The past few days have been tumultuous for Bolton, according to the New York Times. When he traveled to Turkey to present demands before withdrawing from Syria, which included a promise from Turkey not to attack the Kurds in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refused to receive Bolton and his demands.
Then Trump, supporting his national security adviser, announced on Twitter on Sunday that the United States will "destroy Turkey economically if they attack the Kurds."
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