President Donald Trump warned his aides that if diplomacy or targeted strikes do not convince Iran to give up its nuclear weapons program, he will consider larger actions, according to a report.
While negotiators from the U.S. and Iran will meet Thursday in Geneva to try and find a solution that would avoid military conflict, Trump has been considering other options should the talks fail, according to The New York Times.
Both sides have ramped up military preparations in the region in recent days as Trump has been leaning toward carrying out a strike to show Iran that it must give up its ability to make nuclear weapons, Trump advisors told the Times.
Targets being considered range from the headquarters of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to nuclear sites to the ballistic missile program, according to the report.
If Iran ignores U.S. demands, Trump will consider launching a more large-scale military assault later this year to topple Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, the report says.
However, administration officials have cast doubts on whether this change can be accomplished through airstrikes alone. Officials are also mulling over another option to avoid military intervention: a limited nuclear enrichment program that Iran could use solely for medical research and treatments, the Times reports. It is unclear whether Iran would accept such a limited scope given the vast sums they have already spent on the program, the outlet added.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump discussed plans for strikes on Iran in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, C.I.A. director John Ratclife and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, according to the report.
In the meeting, Trump pressured Caine and Ratcliffe to weigh in on the plan, but neither advocated for a certain position. According to the report, Caine had told Trump there was a high likelihood of success before the operation to seize Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro last month — but was unable to give that same reassurance during the Iran discussions.
Meanwhile, Vance, who has advocated for more restraint in overseas military action, did not oppose the strike. However, during the meeting, he questioned Caine and Ratcliff and pressured them into sharing their opinions on the plans.
The U.S. had been considering options that included utilizing teams of special operations forces on the ground that could carry out raids to destroy Iranian nuclear or missile facilities, according to the report.
However, carrying out such a raid would be dangerous and require forces to stay on the ground for much longer than was needed during the operation to capture Maduro.
Multiple U.S. officials told the Times the plans for a commando raid have been put on hold.
The White House declined to comment to the Times on Trump’s decision-making
“The media may continue to speculate on the President’s thinking all they want, but only President Trump knows what he may or may not do,” Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement.
