WSJ: Trump Leans Toward Expanding U.S. Military Operations in Iran
President Donald Trump, after a meeting with top advisors, is leaning toward expanding military operations in Iran, considering intensified airstrikes, ground troop deployment, or bombing a nuclear site.
According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. President Donald Trump is leaning toward further expanding military operations in Iran after a meeting with his closest advisors in the Situation Room. Among the options discussed are intensifying airstrikes, deploying ground forces to seize Iranian territory near the Strait of Hormuz, or bombing a nuclear site on Mount Pikex.
Trump has not made a final decision, but some U.S. officials told the WSJ that he is reluctant to deploy ground troops after backing down from previous threats to seize Kharg Island. If Trump decides to expand operations against Iran, it would draw the U.S. deeper into the Middle East conflict, likely leading to higher gasoline prices and complicating Republican plans for the midterm elections.
Earlier, on Thursday night, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a second wave of strikes against Iran. On July 13, Trump ordered a series of strikes aimed at weakening Iran's ability to attack civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck U.S. bases in Jordan and Bahrain on July 13. On July 14, CENTCOM said it had completed the latest wave of strikes, hitting military targets in six cities. On the night of July 15, U.S. forces launched another series of strikes and announced the resumption of a naval blockade on vessels bound for Iranian ports.
