Trump may be deliberately playing for time
U.S. President Donald Trump may be deliberately playing for time, coinciding with the repositioning of U.S. military forces in the region, according to U.S. officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.
According to these officials, Trump has been briefed that a large-scale military strike against Iran would likely fail to topple the regime and could instead ignite a broader regional conflict. In this context, the White House currently prefers to monitor how Tehran handles internal protests before deciding on the scale of any potential strike.
The President’s advisors indicated that the United States would need to mobilize a significantly larger military force in the Middle East, either to execute a massive attack or to defend deployed U.S. forces and allies—primarily Israel—should Iran retaliate militarily.
U.S. officials, along with regional partners, warned that the Iranian regime would likely not collapse even under intense bombardment, suggesting that such action would instead widen the scope of regional confrontation. Conversely, while limited strikes might boost the morale of protesters, the Journal estimates they would not alter the regime’s hardline approach toward suppressing dissent.
According to sources, Trump has not yet reached a final decision on the steps he is prepared to take, but he has ordered military forces to be in a state of readiness in anticipation of a potential directive to launch a major attack.
U.S. and Middle Eastern officials believe the President may be intentionally gaining time while U.S. forces complete their movements in the region. In this regard, the newspaper quoted a Qatari official stating that the United States might need between five to seven days to prepare for a full-scale assault.
The report recalls that in June of last year, Trump announced his willingness to grant a two-week window for negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program, despite the fact that the attack plan had already received prior approval at that time.
