The US president has reportedly received briefings on multiple strike options amid rising tensions in the Middle East
US President Donald Trump is considering the option of eliminating Iran’s leadership with the aim of achieving regime change, according to a Wednesday report by The Wall Street Journal that cited US and foreign officials. The publication noted that the president has not yet reached a final decision.
Per the report, Trump was briefed on multiple strike options, which include a potential weeks-long aerial campaign to “eliminate numerous Iranian political and military leaders,” ultimately aiming to overthrow the government. Additional options reportedly target nuclear and missile facilities.
CBS News quoted sources stating that Trump was informed the US military is ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as Saturday. The network added that the timeframe for potential military operations would probably stretch beyond this weekend.
The WSJ reported that Trump’s national security advisors held discussions on Iran in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday, while the president continues to seek diplomatic leverage to compel the nation to dismantle its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Iran, however, has dismissed these demands as unacceptable.
While both parties characterized the Omani-brokered negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday as a constructive development, no significant breakthroughs occurred. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi restated the “inherent, non-negotiable, and legally binding” right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and utilize nuclear energy.
The US has deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups and supplementary bombers to the Middle East, with the WSJ characterizing the military buildup as the most extensive since the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq.
During an interview with Al Arabiya broadcast on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov charged the US with “playing with fire” and cautioned that attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities could trigger a nuclear catastrophe. Lavrov stated that Russia supports Iran’s right to peaceful enrichment, noting that current tensions originate from the US abandoning the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement during Trump’s first term.
The US targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities during the 12-day Israel-Iran aerial conflict in June 2025. Iran has since declared that the attack would not impede its nuclear program.