Trump reviews Iran strike options amid fears air power won’t topple regime - report
Reports indicate US President Trump is considering a range of strike options against Iran, from targeted attacks on regime figures to broader strikes on missile and nuclear sites.
U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing a range of military options against Iran, including targeted strikes on regime figures and security forces, as Washington considers how to respond to Tehran’s violent crackdown on nationwide protests, Reuters reported Tuesday.
According to two U.S. officials familiar with the discussions, Trump has explored limited attacks aimed at figures and institutions blamed for suppressing demonstrators, with the goal of emboldening Iranians to resume protests and challenge the Islamic Republic’s grip on power.
The officials said the administration believes such strikes could create conditions for internal pressure on the regime.
More expansive military options have also been discussed, including strikes designed to have a longer-term strategic impact.
These could target Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, some of which can reach U.S. allies in the Middle East, or key components of its nuclear enrichment program. However, the sources emphasized that no final decision has been made and that Trump has not yet committed to military action.
Israeli and Arab officials briefed on the discussions expressed skepticism that air power alone could achieve regime change in Iran. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that while strikes could degrade Iran’s military capabilities, they are unlikely by themselves to bring down the Islamic Republic.
Tehran, meanwhile, is bracing for escalation. A senior Iranian official said that Iran is preparing for the possibility of military confrontation while continuing to pursue diplomatic channels. The official claimed Washington has shown little interest in diplomacy at this stage.
According to regional sources, Khamenei has limited public appearances and relocated to secure sites, while greater operational authority has shifted to figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including senior adviser Ali Larijani.
Separately, i24NEWS Hebrew channel reported that the U.S. military is struggling to develop a clear operational plan capable of triggering the collapse of Iran’s ruling system.
American sources cited by the network said Trump favors a swift, high-impact operation similar to last June’s B-2 bomber strike on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, following the failure of talks aimed at limiting Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs.
Arab officials and Western diplomats briefed on the deliberations warned that military action could backfire. They expressed concern that strikes might further destabilize Iran’s protest movement, which has already been severely weakened by the deadliest repression since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, rather than galvanize public resistance against the regime.
For now, U.S. officials say Trump continues to review his options as tensions with Tehran escalate and uncertainty grows over the next phase of the standoff.