Washington/Dubai/Jerusalem: An Iranian missile slammed into the main hospital in southern Israel on Thursday, while Israel struck a key Iranian nuclear site amid reports that President Donald Trump had approved plans for the United States to join the conflict but was yet to make a final decision on doing so.

A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran’s military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed at least two dozen civilians in Israel.

A senior intelligence source told US broadcaster CBS on Thursday that the president had approved a plan to attack Iran but was yet to give his final order because he wanted to give Iran more time to agree to a deal to end its nuclear program.

“I have ideas on what to do, but I haven’t made a final – I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due,” Trump said.

American involvement would probably involve destroying Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, which is buried in a mountain that only a US bunker-busting bomb could possibly reach.

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Senior US officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike as early as the weekend, sources told Bloomberg, noting that the situation could change. Top leaders at a handful of federal agencies have also begun getting ready for an attack, one person said.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned against any direct US involvement in the conflict, telling Iranian state media that Iran had “all the necessary options on the table”.

“If the US wants to actively intervene in support of Israel, Iran will have no other option but to use its tools to teach aggressors a lesson and defend itself … our military decision-makers have all necessary options on the table,” he said, according to state media.