US President Donald Trump is considering an initial limited strike on Iran to force it to agree to his demands regarding a deal, a military action designed to be small enough not to inspire major retaliation, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night.
While Trump has not decided on any attack, officials said he is continuing options ranging from a weeklong campaign with the goal of regime change to a smaller wave of strikes designed to force Iran to agree to a deal favorable for the US.
A smaller attack would target a few military or government sites, starting limited in scope with the option to increase them until the Iranian regime agreed to Trump’s terms or fell, the Journal cited people familiar with the matter as saying.
US Middle East presence grows
This comes as the US sends more jet fighters and support aircraft to the Middle East, culminating in the greatest amount of air power in the region since 2003 when the US invaded Iraq, according to the Journal.
This is in addition to the naval support the US has in the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln and the USS Gerald R Ford, which is on its way.
Additionally, some weapons do not need to be in the Middle East for an attack. B-2 stealth bombers could carry out an attack directly from the US, as they did during Operation Midnight Hammer.
The extensive arsenal would allow the US to carry out a campaign to kill scores of Iranian political and military figures, the Journal reported.