After ordering the largest American military buildup in the Middle East since the onset of the Iraq War, President Donald Trump now has a decision to make on Iran.
The options before him now appear relatively well established, confirmed in vague terms by the president himself during informal question-and-answer sessions over the last several weeks and described in more detail by people familiar with the matter. They range widely, with some carrying significant risks, and he’s hearing sometimes conflicting advice from allies, advisers and foreign counterparts.
Trump could hold off ordering any military action at all, hoping the presence of two aircraft carriers, dozens of warships and hundreds of warplanes off Iran’s coasts might convince its leaders to make a deal.
He could order a limited strike on military targets to drive home his demands that Iran abandon any ability to build nuclear weapons.
He could approve an attack intended to topple Iran’s leaders, even if what replaces them remains unknown — the more maximalist approach.
“Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so,” Trump declared on Truth Social on Monday. “I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people.”
Less clear is what, precisely, Trump is looking to accomplish.
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