U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing a limited initial military strike against Iran in an effort to compel Tehran to accept his demands for a new nuclear agreement, The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday.
The report said the potential move is intended to increase pressure on Tehran to reach a deal without triggering a large-scale assault that could prompt a significant Iranian response.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported that if approved, the strike could take place within days and would target military or government sites. If Iran continues to reject Trump’s conditions for halting uranium enrichment, the United States could respond with broader attacks on regime facilities, potentially with the aim of toppling the government, according to the report.
One source told the Journal that Trump may escalate gradually, beginning with a limited operation before ordering more extensive strikes, until Iran dismantles its nuclear program or the regime collapses.
U.S. officials told the newspaper it remains unclear how seriously Trump is considering the option after weeks of discussions, even though senior aides have repeatedly presented it to him. In recent days, the discussions have increasingly focused on wider-ranging attacks, the report said.
American officials also said Trump has not yet decided whether to order any strike. Options under consideration range from a weeklong campaign designed to force regime change to a narrower wave of strikes targeting Iranian government and military facilities.
Some U.S. officials cautioned that such strikes could provoke retaliation from Iran, potentially drawing the United States into a broader war in the Middle East and endangering its regional allies.