Donald Trump team weighs options, including airstrikes, to stop Iran’s nuclear program

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering various strategies to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, including potential preventative airstrikes, according to The Wall Street Journal.

This report coincides with news that Israel is drafting plans for a potential strike on Iranian nuclear facilities amid growing concerns that Iran, weakened after over a year of conflict with Israel, might accelerate its efforts to build a nuclear weapon. The ongoing tensions were heightened following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which initiated the conflict.

Trump has communicated to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent discussions that he is determined to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear capabilities during his presidency. However, he is reportedly seeking strategies to achieve this goal without initiating a broader conflict, particularly one that would involve U.S. military forces, according to transition officials cited in the report.

The incoming administration is said to be developing a “maximum pressure 2.0” strategy, revisiting the aggressive sanctions policy against Iran that characterized Trump’s first term after withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. That deal, brokered under the Obama administration, aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Sources cited by the Journal indicated that military deterrence could involve several steps. Initially, the U.S. could deploy additional forces, warships, and aircraft to the region while enhancing Israel’s offensive capabilities, such as selling bunker-busting bombs. If such measures fail to deter Iran, the U.S. might escalate by threatening or employing direct military force.