White House signals diplomacy preferred but military options sharpened as pressure mounts on Tehran.
Senior officials within the Trump administration told the New York Times that Donald Trump has not yet decided whether to authorize military action against Iran.
According to three US officials, the options under consideration include targeted strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and its ballistic missile infrastructure. Another scenario reportedly involves deploying American special operations forces against specific Iranian military assets.
The officials emphasized that the Pentagon would require full operational readiness before executing any such mission.
The deliberations follow Trump’s recent White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where Iran dominated discussions. Afterward, Trump reiterated his preference for continued negotiations but warned that failure to secure a deal would bring severe consequences.
In a powerful signal of deterrence, Trump ordered the redeployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Middle East. “If we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” he told reporters, describing the deployment as positioning “a very big force” in the region.
When asked about the prospects for diplomacy, Trump responded confidently but issued a blunt warning: negotiations would either succeed — or it would be “a very bad day for Iran.”
