According to The New York Times, U.S. President Donald Trump is facing a difficult choice on Iran.
In an interview, Trump said the only limit he faces is a “moral code,” because he controls the most powerful military force in the world.
Three paths under discussion
The report said Trump has recently held multiple discussions on Iran with Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The three main options in front of him are to expand military action, increase pressure through economic sanctions, or declare victory and withdraw.
Over the previous week, Trump had repeatedly signaled that he was prepared to resume military action against Iran, but changed course on Friday.
Doubts inside the administration
According to multiple officials, there are doubts inside the U.S. government over whether large-scale bombing, cutting off Iran’s electricity supply, and striking missile facilities would be enough to force Iran back to substantive negotiations.
Another option is to keep up economic pressure, including restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to hit Iranian oil exports. But analysts said Trump’s earlier expectation that sanctions would lead to the collapse of Iran’s economy did not come to pass.
Since withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and launching a “maximum pressure” campaign, the Iranian government has remained in place. At the same time, outside observers are concerned that Iran could move ahead with a more concealed nuclear program.
An exit still carries risk
The third option is to declare results and pull back. Trump has previously said he wants to avoid letting conflict weigh on the U.S. economy through a ceasefire and negotiations.
Still, if the United States exits while the issue of Iran’s nuclear facilities remains unresolved and the Strait of Hormuz is still influenced by Iran, the country could face fresh risks in energy markets.
For now, Trump is trying to balance military action, economic pressure, and diplomatic withdrawal, while uncertainty remains over whether the Iran situation will escalate further.