Trump is waiting to see whether Iran agrees to abandon its nuclear program, sources told CBS News and the Wall Street Journal. On Wednesday, Trump said he is still deciding whether to strike Iran.

“I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due, because things change, especially in war,” Trump said. “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”

However, Trump is reportedly inching closer to ordering military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Earlier this week, he left the G7 summit early to conduct a Situation Room meeting. He also called on Iran to “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” on Tuesday on Truth Social.

Now, with a plane built to survive nuclear attacks sitting in Washington, many are wondering if the Trump administration is nearing a plan.

What is the ‘Doomsday Plane’?

While Air Force One is famously known as the “flying Oval Office” for its notable role as a mobile workspace for U.S. presidents, the lesser-known “Doomsday Plane” functions more as a “flying war room.”

Air Force One planes are not designed for wartime command and control — they lack the needed protections, communication systems, and military staff — but the E-4B Nightwatch can direct military operations during crises.

The Nightwatch, dubbed the “Doomsday Plane,” is an aircraft specifically built to ensure the continuity of the government and protect top defense officials during a nuclear conflict.

Based on the Boeing 747-200 airframe, the Nightwatch was introduced in the 1970s and upgraded in the 1980s.

It serves as the National Airborne Operations Center and is a key component of the National Military Command System for the president, the secretary of defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In the case of a national emergency or loss of ground command, the plane “provides a highly survivable command, control and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders, and coordinate actions by civil authorities,” the U.S. Air Force said.

The “Doomsday Plane” can withstand nuclear blasts and electromagnetic pulses, potentially acting as Trump’s mobile war room. The vessel is also equipped with a ray dome, with 67 satellite dishes and antennas, allowing passengers to communicate globally with any location on Earth.

The aircraft can reportedly be refueled midair and launch retaliatory military strikes if needed. The longest recorded flight lasted 35.4 hours, but it can stay airborne and fully operational for up to a week without landing.

Each Nightwatch can carry 112 people and consists of 18 bunks, a briefing room, a teamwork area, a conference room, a command room, and rest areas spread across three decks. In the event of an emergency, it can act as a “flying Pentagon.”

“I’d like to think of the E-4B as kind of like a flying backup Pentagon, potentially more secure than the Pentagon,” said Ryan Pickrell, Business Insider‘s Pentagon correspondent. “If you’re seeing it at its maximum capability, which hopefully we never do, you’re looking at an apocalyptic scenario, which is why it is affectionately known as the Doomsday plane.”

A “Doomsday Plane” was notably used to provide a “safe haven” for former President George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks when he stopped at Barksdale Air Force Base to address the nation.

Why does it matter?

Four Nightwatches are always in regular flight rotation to maintain operational readiness. The flight uses an atypical callsign, “ORDER01” instead of the expected “ORDER6,” according to data from the flight tracking site FlightRadar.

The plane left Bossier City, Louisiana, right before 6 p.m. and arrived in Maryland at 10 p.m.

Multiple sources reported that Trump is still undecided whether to launch strikes amid doubts about whether American Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs could destroy Iran’s nuclear plant near Qom.

On Thursday, ballistic missile strikes from Iran hit an Israeli hospital. Afterward, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz hinted that assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei should be added to Israel’s attack plans.

While it is still unclear whether this was a routine operation or a precautionary move, the order coincides with Trump’s decision-making and the intensification of Middle Eastern conflicts.

What are Trump and Khamenei saying?

On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he is “not looking to fight.”

“But if it’s a choice between fighting and [Iran] having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do, and maybe we won’t have to fight,” Trump said.

Trump has not commented on why the “Doomsday Plane” is near Washington, and Khamenei addressed the public on Wednesday, warning the U.S. about potential military interference.

“The Americans should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage. The U.S. entering into this matter is 100% to its own detriment,” Khamenei said. “The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm Iran may encounter.”

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Senior officials have told numerous outlets, including CNN, that Trump has become less convinced by diplomatic options and is increasingly open to military intervention.

What happens next

Foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain have scheduled nuclear talks in Geneva on Friday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, according to Reuters.