Trump Weighs Airstrikes to Halt Iran's Nuclear Weapons Development

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Trump Weighs Airstrikes to Halt Iran's Nuclear Weapons Development

US President-elect Donald Trump is considering various options to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, including the possibility of preventive airstrikes, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Sources close to Trump’s transition team indicate that he is developing a “maximum pressure” strategy aimed at Tehran. This plan would combine military action with intensified financial sanctions.

The report also highlights that Trump has expressed concerns to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the possibility of Iran advancing its nuclear program during his administration. He has reportedly sought proposals to prevent this from happening.

Trump’s team is deliberating between two main strategies. One option involves ramping up military pressure by deploying additional US forces, warplanes, and naval ships to the Middle East. The US could also provide Israel with advanced weaponry, such as bunker-busting bombs, to strengthen its defense capabilities.

The alternative strategy is to leverage the threat of military action, paired with US-imposed sanctions, to push Tehran into agreeing to a diplomatic resolution.

In a previous interview with Time magazine, Trump did not rule out the potential for a major military conflict with Iran.

Following his victory in the November 2020 election, Trump appears to be revisiting key elements of his first-term policies, which included imposing heavy sanctions on Iran, withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, and enhancing military and economic support for Israel.

However, Iranian officials have warned against further US pressure, with Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, asserting that such actions would prompt “maximum resistance” from Tehran.