Military officials expect Trump to reposition the USS Abraham Lincoln toward the Middle East.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
US officials have warned President Donald Trump that a large-scale strike on Iran would not topple the Islamic Republic’s leadership, a message delivered as part of internal briefings described to The Wall Street Journal. Advisers said a wide military operation could trigger a much broader confrontation without achieving regime change.
Those assessments have led Trump to hold off on an immediate decision. According to the officials, he intends to watch how Iran handles the continuing protest movement before determining whether to order any military action and at what scale.
Even so, he has instructed defense planners to ready the necessary assets should he choose to escalate.
People familiar with the briefings said commanders told the president that an extensive operation would require reinforcing US positions across the region.
They explained that additional firepower would be needed both to carry out the mission and to defend American forces if Iran responds.
The same officials said Israel and other partners would also require protection in the event of retaliatory fire.
Some advisers suggested that smaller strikes, while limited in effect, might raise the confidence of demonstrators inside Iran.
At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration had delivered a clear warning to Tehran, telling reporters that Trump’s team “have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences.” She added that the president’s intentions are known only to him and “a very, very small team of advisors are read into his thinking.”
Military officials expect Trump to reposition the USS Abraham Lincoln toward the Middle East, a move that two US officials and another person familiar with the discussions said could take about a week from its current location in the South China Sea.
On Capitol Hill, Senator Lindsey Graham voiced support for a far more forceful approach and told reporters that he hopes the regime’s “days are numbered.”
Trump has not finalized his decision, but officials say preparations are underway for multiple scenarios as the situation inside Iran continues to evolve.
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