Any military options President Donald Trump would take against Iran would carry risks, but his moves would also increase pressure on Tehran to negotiate, Elliott Abrams, a former U.S. special representative for Iran and Venezuela, told Newsmax on Sunday.
"It's certainly a risky operation, but the president wants to have options. It would be very foolish of him not to do this," Abrams said on Newsmax's "Sunday Report."
Abrams stressed that Trump has not made a final decision and noted potential alternatives short of striking the Iranian mainland.
"There are a number of islands in the Arabian Gulf and in the Strait of Hormuz that he might want to take or do a raid on the Iranian coast," Abrams said, adding that the buildup of U.S. forces could push Iran's leadership toward talks.
Still, he expressed skepticism about any agreement with Tehran.
"I think we can trust that they'll cheat. They always cheat. Since the regime started in 1979, they always cheat on whatever they agree to do," Abrams said.
He suggested a formal peace deal is unlikely, saying the conflict could instead end with a ceasefire.
"One of the ways this war could end is the United States stopping and Iran stopping... just a kind of ceasefire," Abrams said.
Abrams also pointed to signs the conflict is expanding across the region, citing Hezbollah's involvement in Lebanon and recent Houthi activity in Yemen.
"Hezbollah, the terrorist group in Lebanon, decided right off to follow their instructions from Iran and get into it," he said, adding it remains unclear whether the Houthis will open a sustained new front.
On domestic support for potential U.S. military action, Abrams said partisan divisions remain sharp but argued there is broader agreement on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
"I think we've become terribly, terribly partisan. I think, frankly, most Democrats won't support anything the president does. I think most Republicans are clearly with him," he said.
Abrams said reports that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is recruiting children reflect a growing strain on the regime.
"Drafting children is a sign of how desperate and how vile this regime really is," he said.
Looking ahead, Abrams said U.S. strategy may shift toward targeting Iran's industrial capacity to degrade its ability to rebuild military assets.
"There are some more targets to hit... you get beyond the straight military target... to their industrial base with which they build these weapons," he said.
He added that reopening the Strait of Hormuz will be a key objective before any resolution.
"It's got to be open, I think, or President Trump cannot just say it's over," Abrams said.
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