Trump briefed on wider military options as US-Iran tensions escalate
Trump reviews aggressive military options against Iran as US-Iran tensions rise, including strikes on nuclear sites and possible troop deployment
In signs of escalating tension between the US and Iran, US President Donald Trump has been briefed on a range of more aggressive potential military actions against the Islamic Republic. According to a report in the New York Times, the proposal presented to the US President is aimed at inflicting significant damage to Iran's nuclear and missile infrastructure as well as to erode the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
‘Options include US troops in Iran’
The report further stated that the military measures currently under consideration by the Trump administration are more severe than those examined by the US about two weeks ago. The earlier measures were aimed at fulfilling Trump’s promise of halting the killing of protesters by the Iranian regime.
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The fresh plan of military action includes scenarios that would place US troops directly in Iranian territory, such as targeted raids against key military facilities. According to the report, a US official stated that the mass protests in Iran have been suppressed by force by the regime for now.
‘Iran must not have nuclear capabilities’
Earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning to Ira,n stating that Tehran must not pursue nuclear capabilities. “They should not pursue nuclear capabilities, and we will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department,” he added as quoted by ANI.
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Highlighting US military might, Hegseth referred to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife stating "No other military in the world could have executed the most sophisticated, powerful raid-not just in American history- I would say in world history."
Trump's massive armada’ warning to Iran
Earlier, Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said a large US naval force was moving towards Iran. He described the deployment as a “massive armada” led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
Trump stressed the need for Iran to return to negotiations and called on Tehran to reach an agreement that would rule out the development of nuclear weapons. “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS,” he wrote, cautioning that “time is running out.”
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He also warned that if Iran failed to comply, the next attack “will be far worse” than earlier strikes. Trump’s remarks referred back to previous US military action, including the June 2025 campaign in which American forces, working in coordination with Israel, hit multiple Iranian nuclear facilities, an operation Washington said had significantly set back Tehran’s nuclear programme.