With the US poised to attack Iran, diplomatic attempts to broker a deal appear to have withered.

Israeli and Arab officials successfully united earlier this month to convince President Donald Trump to refrain from attacking Tehran, fearing a regional bloodbath. But earlier this week, a Gulf official who is familiar with discussions among US officials, told HuffPost the chances of avoiding a strike stood only at 50%. The odds look even worse heading into the weekend.

The US has amassed forces that Trump calls an “armada” in the region and he is considering possibly striking a wider range of targets than the US did in its attack on Iranian nuclear facilities last summer, a US official and another source familiar with administration conversations told HuffPost.

The assault could include political targets, potentially even Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which would likely invite heavy Iranian retaliation and kill future diplomatic prospects.

Trump says the alternative to the strikes are negotiations, but he and his aides have laid out preconditions for talks that few believe Iran is willing to meet. They want Tehran to first commit to limiting its uranium enrichment, ballistic missile programme and support for militias across the Middle East.

Trump and his aides, frustrated with attempted diplomacy last year, feel Iran should make extensive concessions, arguing it has no other option given the immense pressure it is under, the US official and the other source said.

Iran badly wants relief from US........

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