LIVE: White House briefing as Trump weighs US military action against Iran

LIVE: White House briefing as Trump weighs US military action against Iran

LIVE: White House briefing as Trump- weighs US military action against Iran

White House: President Donald Trump to make a decision on whether to attack Ian ‘within two weeks’.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.” Leavitt added that “correspondence has continued with Iran”.

President Trump will have one mission on his mind. If he decides to join the war against Iran — destroying Fordow, Irans most heavily fortified nuclear site.

Buried deep beneath a mountain, only the Americans have the weapon capable of annihilating it.

The 13.6-tonne class GBU-57/B, otherwise known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb (Mop), has a thick steel outer casing that can penetrate fortifications up to 60m below ground.

It is delivered by the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the only aircraft in the US air force inventory that is certified to carry the “bunker-buster” bomb, which has never been fired in anger.

Without the bomb and the aircraft, Israel can inflict substantial damage on the Fordow uranium enrichment plant in central Iran — and might even render it inoperable by blocking entry points to the mountain — but it cannot destroy the facility, experts believe. Israel has GBU-28 bunker-busters that can penetrate “only” 6m of concrete.