Explosive White House leak reveals final approval and date for Iran strike

Published February 23rd, 2026 - 06:42 GMT
Explosive White House leak reveals final approval and date for Iran strike
In this handout photograph released by the US Navy on February 6, 2026, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187), and Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), sail in formation in the Arabian Sea, on February 6. The two foes recently resumed indirect talks, after the US president repeatedly threatened military action against Iran, at first over a deadly crackdown on protesters last month then more recently over its nuclear programme. Iran's atomic energy chief on February 19, 2026 (Photo by Petty officer 1st Class Jesse Monford / US NAVY / AFP)

ALBAWABA - Former CIA officer John Kiriakou has caused a stir by saying that the White House has made a final decision to attack Iran with U.S. military force, possibly as soon as Monday or Tuesday.

Kiriakou said on Julian Dorey's podcast that he got information from someone who had just been in the White House. He says that people are no longer talking about whether an attack will happen, but about when and how big it will be.

Kiriakou said that President Donald Trump's recent 10-day deadline for Tehran to meet U.S. demands, which include stopping nuclear enrichment, stopping the development of ballistic missiles, and ending support for armed groups in the region, may be more of a tactical move than a real diplomatic opening.

He said that Trump has used public deadlines as strategic pressure tools in the past, only to act sooner than expected to catch his opponents off guard. In this case, the ultimatum could be part of a larger plan to trick people into thinking that military action might happen.

As of now, neither the White House nor the U.S. Department of Defense has officially said that a final strike order has been given. Major international news organizations have not confirmed on their own that there is a formal decision to attack.

The claims come out at a time when tensions are rising between Washington and Tehran. Military deployments are increasing in the area, and indirect diplomatic efforts are still going on over Iran's nuclear program.

It's not clear if Kiriakou's comments are a real leak from inside the U.S. decision-making circles or an interpretation based on unofficial sources. As the deadline gets closer, there is a lot of uncertainty, and people are closely watching to see if things will get worse or if negotiations will start up again.