President Trump has said he would not want to bring the US into a war in Iran that could last weeks or months, NBC reported early Thursday morning, citing two people familiar with the discussions and a person close to the White House.
Trump wants any US strike to be a “definitive” blow, according to one of the people familiar with the discussions.
However, his advisers were unable to guarantee a total collapse of the regime after a US military strike, and there is concern that the US may not have all the assets it would need to defend against Iranian retaliation in the region.
Preparation may be underway
Trump has had multiple military options prepared and presented to him in recent days, with senior administration officials meeting to discuss military goals for potential strikes and the cost of Iranian retaliation, specifically on US forces and allies such as Israel in the region.
On Wednesday, hundreds of US troops were moved from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, one of the locations thought to be under threat, should Iran decide to attack US forces.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that he had been told that the killings in Iran had stopped. When asked whether that meant military action is off the table, Trump responded, "We're going to watch and see what the process is."