4 hours ago
Last Updated:June 19, 2025, 07:29 IST
President Trump may join Israel's action against Iran's nuclear sites but wants to avoid a prolonged conflict. His team is exploring ways to minimize escalation.
US President Donald Trump and Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei | AP Image
As President Donald Trump considers joining Israel’s military action against Iran, potentially using bunker-busting bombs to target underground nuclear facilities, his top advisors are exploring ways to strike these targets without escalating into a full-blown war, according to sources close to the matter.
President Trump is prioritising avoiding a prolonged conflict with Iran, which escalated last Thursday. While he’s open to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s argument that the US is crucial in stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Trump remains cautious about getting entangled in a foreign conflict he campaigned against. Sources indicate Trump’s administration is exploring options to minimise escalation while still addressing Iran’s nuclear program.
According to two European diplomats, the Trump administration has informed some US allies that it plans to adopt a wait-and-see approach regarding Israel’s operation against Iran’s nuclear program. For the first week, the US will observe Israel’s progress before deciding whether to involve US military assets.
A day before the deadline, Trump said he had not made a final decision on how to proceed, and in conversations with US allies on Wednesday, administration officials did not definitively lean in one direction or the other, the diplomats said. While speaking to CNN, a person familiar with the matter said that Trump has reviewed attack plans for Iran but is holding off to see if Tehran steps back from its nuclear program.
“I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due," Trump said in the Oval Office. “Especially with war, things change with war. It can go from one extreme to the other."
As President Trump weighs his options, he believes a US strike doesn’t necessarily mean full-scale US intervention in a foreign war. Those close to him argue that targeted strikes differ from broader actions that could prolong the conflict, suggesting a nuanced approach to addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“America might just drop a few MOAB’s on Fordow, destroy the last nuclear asset, and then leave," David Friedman, Trump’s ambassador to Israel during his first term, wrote on social media. MOAB refers to a Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, nicknamed the “mother of all bombs."
“The airspace already is clear," Friedman went on. “How is that being dragged into anything?"
The Trump administration is hearing concerns from allies about the potential consequences of US involvement in military action against Iran. These concerns include the risk of Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil supplies, and potentially speeding up its nuclear development in response to a US strike, sources said. Iran has vowed to retaliate if the US supports Israel in any military action.
“If the Americans decide to get involved militarily, we have no choice but to retaliate wherever we find the targets necessary to be acted upon," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “That is clear and simple. Because we are acting in self-defence."
Location :United States of America (USA)
First Published:News world US Explores Options To Strike Iran's Nuclear Targets Without Full-Scale War: Report
