Trump briefed on Iran strike options, but each military path carries major risks

Time reports the White House has let it be known that President Donald Trump has been briefed on options for military strikes in Iran as protests convulse the country. For days the president has issued increasingly bellicose warnings toward Tehran—"Locked and loaded," he has said, promising America will "come to their rescue" and warning Iran is "in big trouble." The administration faces three broad choices, the first a symbolic strike: limited attacks on IRGC facilities or naval sites that would satisfy a political need to act but likely accomplish little, demoralize protesters and allow the regime to portray the attack as foreign conspiracy.

The piece notes the U.S. currently has no carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf and that Gulf allies have told Washington they do not want to host strikes, after Iranian missiles hit Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in June. The second option—decapitation, targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior Revolutionary Guard commanders—risks empowering the IRGC, which the article says fields roughly 190,000 personnel.

Rather than bringing democracy, a successful strike could produce a military junta that consolidates power and bargains with Washington, leaving protesters worse off. The report also stresses the practical difficulty of finding Khamenei and the uncertain quality of the intelligence needed.

Key Topics

World, Donald Trump, Iran, Ali Khamenei, Carrier Strike Groups