Trump weighs limited military strike on Iran to pressure nuclear deal: Report

• President Donald Trump is reportedly considering an initial, limited military strike on Iran to pressure Tehran into agreeing to a nuclear deal.
• The potential strike would target a limited number of military and government sites, aiming to escalate tensions without triggering a full-scale confrontation.
• U.S. officials have signaled the option to expand operations if Iran continues uranium enrichment and ignores Trump’s demands.

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering an initial, limited military strike on Iran as a pressure tactic to force Tehran to agree to a nuclear deal, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The potential strike would target a limited number of military and government sites, aiming to escalate tensions without triggering a full-scale confrontation that could provoke major retaliation.

The U.S. administration has signaled that operations could expand if Iran continues to defy Trump’s demands to halt uranium enrichment, potentially escalating to a broader campaign targeting key Iranian infrastructure.

Another report from the Telegraph stated that the United States could be ready to begin military action against Iran as soon as Saturday. Defense officials have informed the president that the U.S. air and naval forces in the region are nearing the necessary readiness to launch airstrikes by the weekend.

This week, roughly 50 additional fighter jets, along with aerial refueling and support aircraft, were deployed toward the Middle East. The second U.S. carrier strike group, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is also expected to arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in the coming days.

Trump previously warned Iran that “bad things” would happen if the country failed to reach a nuclear agreement, giving Tehran a ten-day window before potential U.S. action.

The proposed limited strike, described by sources as “decisive but measured,” would allow the United States to demonstrate military readiness and exert maximum pressure on Iran while keeping open the possibility of a diplomatic resolution. The administration hopes such a strike would send a strong deterrent message, showing that U.S. military technology is prepared to act if diplomatic efforts fail.

During a meeting of the “Board of Peace,” Trump reiterated that the coming days would be critical in shaping U.S.-Iran relations, warning that serious consequences would follow if Tehran did not demonstrate a willingness to change its regional and nuclear behavior. While the White House insists that diplomacy remains the first option, recent movements of military assets underscore that the administration views a limited strike as a viable tool to reinforce its political objectives.

International reactions to the reports have been mixed, with some nations warning against military escalation in a region critical to global energy supplies.