January 30, 2026
A New York Times report quoted senior American officials as saying that in recent days, the Pentagon presented to US President Donald Trump an expanded list of potential military options against Iran, with the aim of causing additional damage to Iran’s nuclear and missile program facilities, or reducing the influence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and weakening his position at home.
In parallel, Trump announced at night that he had spoken with the Iranians and conveyed to them a direct message in which he said: “No nuclear weapons… and stop killing demonstrators,” referring to internal developments and protests in Iran.
According to the report, the options presented to Trump go far beyond what he was considering about two weeks ago, as part of the US administration’s intention to put pressure on Tehran, especially regarding the issue of suppressing protests through security forces and militias associated with them. The current list, according to American sources, even includes the possibility of American forces carrying out raids inside Iran.
However, American officials stressed that Trump has not yet agreed to any military operation, and has not decided on his choice among the scenarios presented by the Pentagon, despite a large American military buildup in the Middle East, including sending the aircraft carrier “Lincoln.”
The report explained that Trump still keeps the door open to a diplomatic solution, and that part of the military threats may be aimed primarily at pushing the Iranians to the negotiating table. Officials also reported that Trump recently even considered the question of whether regime change in Iran was a “realistic and doable” option.
The New York Times noted that during the wave of protests in Iran, the Trump administration considered options that included striking the Iranian nuclear program and targeting more “symbolic” sites, such as the headquarters of a militia accused of playing a key role in the violent suppression of demonstrations.
But Trump, according to the report, retreated from the option of military action after the Iranian authorities announced the cancellation of hundreds of death sentences that had been scheduled, in addition to pressure from Arab countries that demanded postponing any strike.
The report pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had also asked Trump to postpone any attack at that stage, according to what was stated in the leaks.
According to American officials, Trump deals with Iran with a mentality similar to the one he adopted toward Venezuela, when the United States mobilized forces near its coast for months as part of a pressure campaign to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. But efforts to convince Maduro to step down failed, which later prompted Washington to act against him and arrest him.
However, the New York Times stressed that American officials themselves are skeptical about the possibility of Tehran accepting American conditions, and everyone realizes that any operation inside Iran will be much more complicated than in Venezuela.
The report stated that the United States has set harsh conditions that include a complete and permanent halt to uranium enrichment, giving up all stockpiles of nuclear materials, imposing limits on the range and number of ballistic missiles in the Iranian arsenal, and completely halting support for allies in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.
According to a US official, Iran’s acceptance of restrictions on its missile program would mean practically paralyzing its ability to strike Israel.
The report described the most dangerous option as sending American commando forces secretly to carry out an operation inside Iran aimed at destroying or causing serious damage to parts of the nuclear program that were not damaged during the American strikes last June.
The sources indicated that American forces have been training for years for missions of this type, which include infiltrating countries such as Iran to strike nuclear facilities or highly sensitive targets.
But Trump, according to the report, has always expressed reservations about introducing American ground forces into high-risk arenas, repeatedly citing the failure of President Jimmy Carter’s 1980 operation to rescue 52 American hostages in Iran.
The other option proposed by the Pentagon is a series of broad strikes against military targets and sites linked to the Iranian leadership, with the aim of causing a major shock that could create internal conditions leading to the overthrow of the Supreme Leader by Iranian security services or other parties.
But the report indicated great ambiguity regarding who might rule Iran if Khamenei falls, or whether any potential successor would be more willing to reach an understanding with Washington.
The New York Times also added that one of Trump’s motivations for seriously considering this path is related to reports of Iranian attempts to target him. Federal prosecutors in New York announced last year that Iranians discussed a plan to assassinate Trump before he was elected to a second presidential term.
According to the report, Israel prefers a different path, and is pushing towards a third option, which is for the United States to join Israel to carry out a new strike targeting the Iranian ballistic missile program.
Intelligence sources claim that Iran has largely restored this program after the “12-Day War,” making retargeting it an Israeli priority in any future confrontation.
