US military was hours from Iran strikes before Trump canceled action - NBC

The US military was about three hours from launching missiles inside Iran on Thursday when President Donald Trump announced on social media that a deal had been reached, NBC News reported, citing two US officials.

According to the report, US forces already received orders to carry out the strikes that evening, and naval units had adjusted air operations plans and prepared munitions. The officials said the operation was in its final stages before being called off.

NBC reported that Kharg Island was not on the approved target list, despite earlier threats by Trump referencing the site. The report added that while the US military has developed contingency plans involving Iranian oil infrastructure, including Kharg Island, those options had not been authorized for execution.

The officials also said Trump’s public statements on social media did not align with the specific operational planning underway at the time, according to NBC.