Amid heightened tensions over potential strikes by the United States on Iran, a media report has said that President Donald Trump has been presented with “military options that involve directly targeting the supreme leader” and his son.
The bar for Iran’s forthcoming nuclear proposal is very high because the plan would have to persuade the many skeptics in the Trump administration, said a report by Axios citing US officials.
On Friday, President Trump said that he is considering a limited strike against Iran, having already ordered a significant naval reinforcement in the Middle East to compel Tehran to accept a deal limiting its nuclear activities.
When questioned by reporters at White House if a restricted military action was under consideration to force nuclear concessions, Trump replied: “I guess I can say I am considering” it.
On Thursday, Trump cautioned that “bad things” would occur if Tehran failed to finalise an agreement within 10 days, a timeframe he later increased to 15 days.
The Trump administration is prepared to consider a proposal that allows Iran “token” nuclear enrichment if it leaves no possible path to a bomb, a senior US official told Axios.
“President Trump will be ready to accept a deal that would be substantive and that he can sell politically at home. If the Iranians want to prevent an attack they should give us an offer we can’t refuse. The Iranians keep missing the window. If they play games there won’t be a lot of patience,” the senior US official said.
A Reuters report, quoting two US officials, said on Friday US military planning on Iran has reached an advanced stage with options including targeting individuals as part of an attack and even pursuing regime change in Tehran, if ordered by President Trump. One of the US officials reportedly noted Israel’s success targeting Iranian leaders during its 12-day war with Iran last year. At the time, regional sources told Reuters at least 20 senior commanders were killed, including the armed forces chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri.
“The president hasn’t decided to strike yet. I know that because we haven’t struck. He might never do it. He might wake up tomorrow and say, ‘That’s it,'” one senior Trump adviser told Axios.
The adviser said the Pentagon had presented Trump with numerous options.
“They have something for every scenario. One scenario takes out the ayatollah and his son and the mullahs,” the adviser said, referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba, who is seen as a potential successor.
A plan to kill Khamenei and his son was floated to Trump several weeks ago, said the Axios report.
Iran Foreign Minister says two sides agree to submit drafts
Meanwhile, Tehran indicated that both parties had consented to produce draft versions of a potential accord, an action Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described to American media as the “next step”.
“I believe that in the next two, three days, that would be ready, and after final confirmation by my superiors, that would be handed over to Steve Witkoff,” he said.
Araghchi also claimed that US diplomats had not insisted on the cessation of Tehran’s uranium enrichment activities, an assertion that conflicted with public statements from US officials. The two adversaries conducted an opening round of talks on 6 February in Oman, marking their first direct engagement since negotiations collapsed during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel last June—a war in which the US participated by bombing Iranian nuclear sites.
“We have not offered any suspension, and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment,” he said in an interview released Friday by US TV network MS NOW.
“What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran’s nuclear programme, including enrichment, is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever,” he added.
