Trump considers massive strike on Iran: CNN learns options
Kyiv • UNN
US President Donald Trump is considering a new large-scale strike on Iran. This comes after talks on its nuclear program and ballistic missiles yielded no results.
US President Donald Trump is considering a new large-scale strike on Iran after previous talks between Washington and Tehran on limiting the country's nuclear program and ballistic missile production made no progress, citing sources familiar with the matter, CNN reports, which learned of the options on the table for the US president, UNN writes.
Details
According to sources, "among the options being considered are US airstrikes on Iranian leaders and security officials presumably responsible for the killings, as well as strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and government agencies."
Trump has not yet made a final decision on further action, sources said, but he believes his military options have expanded since earlier this month, amid a US carrier strike group being in the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group entered the Indian Ocean on Monday and continues to approach Iran, where it could support any potential operations against the country, both in terms of assisting with strikes and protecting regional allies from a possible Iranian retaliation.
According to sources, earlier this month, the US and Iran exchanged messages - including through Omani diplomats and between Trump's foreign affairs envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi - about a possible meeting to prevent a US attack, which Trump had threatened in response to the deaths of protesters.
According to one source, there was a brief discussion of a face-to-face meeting, but it never happened. According to another source familiar with the situation, there have been no serious direct talks between the US and Iran, amid Trump's increased threats of military action in recent days.
It is unclear why Trump has again shifted his focus to Iran's nuclear program, which he said last summer was "destroyed" by US strikes, the publication writes. However, according to a person familiar with the latest US intelligence on the matter, Iran is trying to rebuild its nuclear facilities even deeper underground and has long resisted US pressure to stop uranium enrichment. The regime has also banned the UN nuclear watchdog from inspecting its nuclear facilities.
Amid threats of military action, the US has also demanded preconditions for meeting with Iranian officials, sources said, including a permanent halt to uranium enrichment, a central element of Iran's nuclear program, new restrictions on Iran's ballistic missile program, and an end to any support for Iranian proxies in the region.
According to sources, the biggest sticking point was the US demand for Iran to agree to limit the range of its ballistic missiles - a sensitive issue for Israel, which spent most of its anti-missile arsenal intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles during the 12-day war last June. Iran refused and told the US it would only discuss its nuclear program. The US did not respond, leaving both sides at an impasse, sources said.
On Monday, a US official said the administration was still open to dialogue with Iran if "they know what the conditions will be."
"We're open for business... as they say, so if they want to reach out to us and know the conditions, we'll negotiate," the official told reporters.
The official did not elaborate on the conditions but said that "these conditions have been communicated throughout the beginning of the Trump administration, so they are aware."
Nevertheless, the US is preparing for possible actions. According to a US official, the US military is deploying air defense systems to the region, including additional Patriot batteries, to help protect US forces from a possible Iranian retaliation. According to several sources, the US also plans to deploy one or more THAAD air defense systems to the region.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force plans to conduct multi-day air exercises in the Middle East that will allow pilots to demonstrate "that they are capable of dispersing, operating, and conducting combat sorties in complex environments - safely, accurately, and with our partners," according to a statement by Lieutenant General Derek France, commander of AFCENT US Central Command and commander of the Joint Forces Air Component.
Recent US intelligence reports, with which Trump was briefed, indicate that the Iranian regime is in a historically weak position after US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities and proxy forces last year, as well as mass protests that erupted earlier this month, people familiar with the assessments said. And last weekend, Trump hinted that he wanted to see Khamenei removed from power.
"It's time to look for a new leader in Iran," Trump told Politico on Saturday, seemingly echoing his previous comments in support of regime change in Iran.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also told US lawmakers on Wednesday that the Iranian regime is "probably weaker than ever."
But the Iranian government has been weakened before, one source familiar with intelligence said, and there's no guarantee that Khamenei's overthrow would mean the regime's fall.
"Even if you remove the ayatollah, his successors will also be hardliners," the person said. There are also no indications that Iran's security forces are preparing to revolt against the government, sources said.
Rubio also echoed this view, saying that "no one knows" who would take power if the supreme leader were removed.
Nevertheless, all options remain on the table for the US president, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN.
Ideally, Trump wants to deliver a powerful, convincing blow that will force Tehran to accept US terms for a ceasefire, one official said. If an attack on Iran is ordered, Trump will want to declare victory as quickly as possible.
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