President Donald Trump is seeking "decisive" military options for Iran as his administration navigates the aftermath of aborted strikes and a brutal crackdown in Tehran, The Wall Street Journal reported. While the president has not yet ordered an attack, officials confirmed he is pressing for robust alternatives. This strategic review coincides with the rapid deployment of American firepower to the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier and fighter jets, which could facilitate a major offensive.
The specific use of the word "decisive" by Trump has spurred Pentagon and White House planners to develop a spectrum of options, ranging from toppling the government to limited strikes on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the outlet noted. Despite the lack of a strike order, officials emphasized that the president has not ruled out punishing the regime for killing thousands of protesters. The US estimates the death toll is far higher than initial reports, with Ambassador Mike Waltz citing UN figures of up to 18,000 dead.
.@POTUS on threats from Iran: "I've left notification, anything ever happens... the whole country's going to get blown up." pic.twitter.com/oD6WpeWVoY
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 21, 2026
When asked about potential military action, Trump remained ambiguous. "We're just going to have to see what happens with Iran," he told reporters, noting that the regime had paused mass executions following warnings. However, experts warned The Wall Street Journal that air power alone might be insufficient to dislodge the government. Retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula cautioned, "There are things military options can and can't do during a human-rights crackdown. You can deter some regime behavior on the margins," but added, "If you are really signing up to change the regime, that's going to require significant air and ground operations."
To prepare for any contingency, the US has surged assets to the region. F-15E fighters have arrived in Jordan, and the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is steaming toward the Persian Gulf, according to The Wall Street Journal. To protect these forces and allies, Washington is also deploying Patriot and THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile systems. This buildup addresses concerns raised by Israel, which officials said is worried about its own defenses after exhausting interceptor stockpiles during a 12-day war last year.
Despite the buildup, internal divisions persist regarding the objective. Trump has been warned that airstrikes "wouldn't guarantee the government's collapse," and analysts highlight the lack of a post-conflict plan. "A decapitation strategy may create the pretense of a window of opportunity, but there's no opposing force on the ground or over the horizon to overtake the regime let alone stabilize the country," Ramzy Mardini told the outlet. He asked, "Who polices the streets? Who secures the weapons and military installations and nuclear sites? Who patrols the border with Iraq and Afghanistan? The protesters?"
Some advisers prefer non-kinetic tools. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that financial pressure "has worked because in December, their economy collapsed," asserting, "This is why the people took to the street. This is economic statecraft, no shots fired, and things are moving in a very positive way here." This aligns with previous administration stances against "the wars we never get into" and being "distracted by democracy building, interventionism, undefined wars, regime change," as stated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Yet, Trump's rhetoric has shifted. While skeptical of exile figures, he told Politico, "It's time to look for new leadership in Iran," calling the Supreme Leader "a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people." In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned, "Any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation." The US previously avoided striking the leader; last June, Trump posted that intelligence had located Khamenei but he "was not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now."
Trump delivered a stark ultimatum to Iran on Tuesday – warning that persistent assassination plots from Tehran would result in the nation getting "blown up," according to The Hill.
"Well, they shouldn't be doing it but I've left notification," Trump told NewsNation. "Anything ever happens, we're going to blow the whole – the whole country's going to get blown up." The comments were made after an Iranian media outlet made threats against him.
Security officials serving under President Joe Biden had briefed Trump regarding threats against him during the 2024 race, The Hill reported. Former Attorney General Merrick Garland previously stated the conspiracy was revenge for the 2020 US killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Despite those briefings, Trump argued on Tuesday that President Joe Biden "should have said something" regarding the danger. He added that US leaders must defend one another in these scenarios.
"But I have very firm instructions," Trump asserted. "Anything happens they're going to wipe them off the face of this earth."
