Trump Weighs Limited Iran Strike to Force Nuclear Deal
President Trump is weighing an initial limited military strike against Iran designed to force compliance with his demands for a nuclear deal, according to reporting from people familiar with the matter. The opening assault, if authorized, could occur within days and would target select military or government sites as a pressure tactic rather than a full-scale invasion.
Trump stated during a Board of Peace meeting that a decision on Iran could come within the next 10 days, indicating he is considering a range of military options while claiming he still prefers diplomacy. The strategy outlines a two-stage escalation: a limited initial strike followed by a broad campaign against regime facilities if Iran refuses to abandon its nuclear enrichment program.
The proposal demonstrates Trump’s pattern of threatening military action to extract concessions from adversaries, mirroring his deployment of a massive armada to Iran and threatening escalated military strikes if the regime does not comply with nuclear demands. This escalatory approach subordinates diplomatic channels to coercive military pressure as the primary negotiating tool.
The second phase of Trump’s strategy explicitly contemplates regime change, with potential U.S. operations aimed at toppling the Tehran government if Iran continues nuclear enrichment activities. This fundamentally transforms the stated objective from nuclear compliance into broader geopolitical restructuring of Iran’s government.