August M
Inside the White House, deliberations over Iran have entered a more volatile phase, with President Donald Trump weighing how far to push pressure after unrest in the country was violently suppressed.
Officials say the president is balancing military leverage, alliance politics and the risks of escalation, without yet committing to a course of action.
According to the Express, Trump has been presented with an expanded set of military options as Washington reassesses how to deal with Tehran.
Israel presses action
One of the strongest pressures on Trump is coming from Israel, which wants the United States to join renewed strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
Israeli officials argue Iran has rebuilt much of its missile capacity since last year’s fighting and warn that those systems can threaten civilian and military targets across Israel.
Iran has responded sharply. Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani said any US strike would be considered an act of war, warning of retaliation that could include attacks on Tel Aviv.
Leadership in the crosshairs
Beyond missile sites, Trump’s advisers have discussed targeting senior military and political figures in Iran, according to US officials cited by the Express.
The idea would be to create enough internal turmoil to weaken Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s grip on power.
But officials caution there is no clear plan for succession and no guarantee a new leadership would be more open to US demands.
Trump has also been influenced by allegations that Iranian operatives discussed plans to assassinate him, US prosecutors said last year.
Risky ground scenarios
More quietly, officials have debated the most dangerous option of all: sending US commandos into Iran to damage parts of the nuclear programme not destroyed in earlier strikes.
American forces have trained for such missions, but Trump has repeatedly voiced concerns about ground operations, often citing the failed 1980 hostage rescue mission under President Jimmy Carter.
While Trump has publicly said Iran’s nuclear programme was “obliterated,” official assessments describe the damage as significant but incomplete.
Diplomacy still claimed
Despite the hardening rhetoric, Trump has not authorised military action. Officials said threats are also being used to push Tehran toward negotiations over its nuclear programme and regional activities.
“As the commander in chief of the world’s most powerful military, President Trump has many options at his disposal with regard to Iran,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. “The president has stated he hopes that no action will be necessary, but the Iranian regime should make a deal before it is too late.”
US officials stressed that the proposals remain under debate, with no consensus on whether the goal is deterrence, negotiation, or leadership change.
Sources: Express, New York Times, New York Post
