US forms backup government for Iran — The National
Photo: The US is forming a new government for Iran (Getty Images)
The US administration is working to establish a temporary government in Iran in case the current authorities lose their ability to govern the country, The National reports.
Read also Trump says new US airstrikes on Iran are still on the table
According to the agency's source, who is familiar with US efforts to find an alternative to the current Iranian leadership, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is directly involved in this process.
He is working to form a circle of Iranian-American entrepreneurs who will advise on the possible creation of a transitional administrative model of governance.
The source also notes that Washington plans to gather Iranian opposition figures in Palm Beach, Florida. The meeting could take place as early as this weekend, but organizational issues are complicating its preparation.
It is also unclear whether the talks will take place directly at the Mar-a-Lago presidential residence or at another location nearby. The White House has not officially commented on these reports.
Conflict between the US and Iran
Earlier, Donald Trump said he was ready to strike Iran if the country's authorities did not agree to a nuclear deal.
In mid-January, he also threatened a forceful response to the harsh suppression of protests, but his current statements appear to be much more serious.
Earlier, a US aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the Persian Gulf. Against this backdrop, the US Embassy in Tehran urged Americans in Iran to leave the country as soon as possible due to the deteriorating security situation and widespread restrictions on movement and communications.
