Trump’s Options for Iran Strike Grow Even With Goals Unclear (3)

Jan. 30, 2026, 8:35 AM UTC

The arrival of a US aircraft-carrier strike group in the Middle East has given President Donald Trump new, more forceful options to carry out his threats to attack Iran, but the choices carry serious risks of retaliation from Tehran.

At the same time, Trump’s shifting messages about his goals — removing Iran’s leaders, punishing the regime for its deadly crackdown on protesters or extracting a new nuclear agreement — have raised questions about just what the mission would be, or whether the threat may be an effort to force Tehran to negotiate.

His latest warnings, along with Iran’s threats of ...

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