Will the U.S. Strike Iran? The Factors Shaping Trump’s Decision

As nationwide protests shake Iran and security forces respond with lethal force, U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of American intervention, reviving a familiar question in Washington: what, exactly, would U.S. action in Iran look like—and to what end?

Publicly, the Administration has kept its options deliberately broad. The White House has suggested that diplomacy remains the President’s preferred path, but officials acknowledge that he has been briefed on military and nonmilitary alternatives...