President Donald Trump is weighing military options against Iran, including a possible decapitation campaign targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Meanwhile, the White House is pressing Tehran to accept a nuclear deal within days as U.S. forces surge into position across the Middle East.
Trump has not made a final decision on whether to strike, and he has publicly described the option he is weighing as a limited attack meant to pressure Iran into an agreement.
One plan described to Axios by a senior U.S. official envisions killing the supreme leader, his son, and other senior clerics in a bid to collapse the Islamic Republic.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 55, has long been viewed by some Iran watchers as a possible successor to his father and is widely believed to have close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of Iran's armed forces designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.
However, there is an alternative in which Trump could accept an agreement that allows Iran to continue what was described as "token" nuclear enrichment, provided it leaves Tehran without a path to an atomic bomb.
What "token" enrichment would entail in practice, and what monitoring would be required, remains unclear.
On Thursday, Trump said he would give Iran "10 to 15 days" to reach a deal. The following day, he said he was considering a limited strike to force an agreement.
The possibility of conflict is being amplified by a rapid military buildup and growing skepticism among regional officials that diplomacy can bridge the gaps.
Reuters reported that Israel is making preparations for possible joint military action with the United States, though no decision has been made. Trump has sent aircraft carriers, warships, and jets to the region, and Iranian officials have threatened retaliation against U.S. bases if attacked.
Separately, U.S. Naval Institute News reported that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is operating in the Mediterranean Sea as additional U.S. forces deploy toward the region.
Inside Iran, renewed unrest has added another pressure point.
The Associated Press reported protests at universities and memorial gatherings tied to the traditional 40-day mourning period after last month's crackdown, with sharply differing accounts of the death toll.
The outlet reported government opposition activists claiming thousands were killed, while Iran's government has acknowledged a much smaller number.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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