Trump considers new Iran strikes that could last hours or weeks
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump is considering resuming military operations against Iran to force Tehran back to the negotiating table. The White House is already discussing several scenarios for new attacks, which could last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks, reports The Atlantic.
According to the US president's advisers, a new round of strikes could begin shortly after the midterm elections. But Trump has not yet made a final decision.
What strike options is Trump considering?
Last week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine presented Trump and Vice President JD Vance with several options for further military action.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, which is responsible for operations in the Middle East, also took part in the discussions.
According to the media, the president could choose a short operation lasting a few hours, strikes over several days, or an extended campaign lasting weeks.
One separate scenario involves maintaining the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington could use it as leverage against Tehran, threatening to resume military operations. Trump could also decide against taking this step.
Supporters of new strikes are convincing the president that economic pressure on Iran is already producing results and that additional military action could force its leadership to sit down at the negotiating table.
One option involves an extended campaign targeting Iran's defense facilities. This would mean returning to the approach the US used at the beginning of the war, before shifting its strikes toward Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz.
The US is also considering the possibility of attacking Iranian infrastructure. Washington could justify such actions by arguing that the facilities in question are used for both civilian and military purposes. However, this does not eliminate the threat to civilians, and the strikes themselves could violate international humanitarian law.
Another scenario involves a several-day military campaign targeting Iran's nuclear program.
The White House also expects that resuming attacks could receive support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His political future remains uncertain following elections in Israel, and continuing the war could serve his interests.
Why new strikes may fail to achieve their goals
Even a large-scale military campaign does not guarantee that Iran will agree to make concessions. Tehran could withstand new attacks and use this to demonstrate the resilience of its regime.
Some members of Trump's inner circle hope that the threat of strikes alone will be enough to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. However, this tactic has repeatedly failed to produce the expected results.
Another problem is that none of the proposed scenarios provides a clear answer to the threat posed by Iran's regional allies. This primarily concerns the Houthis in Yemen, who recently began attacking Saudi Arabia. Eliminating the threat from such groups was one of the stated objectives of the war.
A new military operation could trigger a rise in global oil prices. This would create additional economic pressure on the US and its allies. Iran could also respond with strikes of its own, leading to a further expansion of the conflict.
One official who spoke to the reporters linked Trump's recent shift in position on Ukraine to his desire to increase Russian energy supplies to the global market. This could partially offset the consequences of possible US military action in the Middle East.
Earlier, Trump repeatedly hinted at resuming strikes against Iran if Tehran does not agree to Washington's terms.
On November 1, the US president said that the US had only one or two Iranian facilities left to deal with, which, according to him, would take just ten minutes to destroy. He was presumably referring to the nuclear facility beneath Mount Kolang-Gaz La, also known as Pickaxe Mountain.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered the military command to prepare for a possible resumption of confrontation with the US and Israel. He instructed officials to expand the list of potential targets so that US and Israeli facilities would fall within the reach of Iranian forces, as well as strengthen the country's ability to launch retaliatory strikes.
