President Donald Trump has directed his national security advisers that if the United States were to take military action against Iran, it should be swift, forceful, and conclusive rather than devolving into an extended conflict, according to an NBC News report published Wednesday citing a U.S. official, two individuals familiar with internal discussions, and a source close to the White House.
“If he does something, he wants it to be definitive,” one of the people familiar with the discussions told NBC News.
At the same time, advisers have been unable to guarantee that a U.S. strike would result in the rapid collapse of the Iranian regime, the U.S. official and two of the sources said. That uncertainty has weighed heavily on the internal deliberations.
Officials have also raised concerns about whether the United States currently has enough military assets positioned in the region to effectively respond to what they anticipate could be a strong and immediate retaliation from Iran, according to the report.
As a result, those dynamics could push Trump toward approving a narrower initial strike while preserving the ability to escalate later — assuming he opts to take action at all, the U.S. official and one person familiar with the discussions said.
Those sources stressed that the situation remains fluid and that as of Wednesday afternoon, no final decisions had been reached.
When asked about the President’s thinking, a White House official pointed reporters to remarks Trump made earlier Wednesday from the Oval Office.
During those comments, Trump said, “We have been notified pretty strongly that the killing in Iran is stopping, and there’s no plan for executions or an execution.”
He added, “I’ve been told that in good authority. We’ll find out about it, I’m sure. If it happens, we’ll be very upset.”
Trump said the information came from “very important sources on the other side and they said that the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place. There were supposed to be a lot of executions today, but the executions won’t take place. We’re going to find out. I’ll find out after this, you’ll find out.”
According to the U.S. official, two individuals briefed on the talks, and one person close to the White House, Trump continues to signal that he is willing to act on his repeated pledges to Iranian protesters that the United States would intervene militarily in support of their efforts to overthrow the regime.
Addressing Trump’s overall posture, a White House official said: “All options are at President Trump’s disposal to address the situation in Iran,” adding that U.S. military actions in Iran last year and in Venezuela this month demonstrate that “he means what he says.”
{Matzav.com}
