President Trump has held discussions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine on resuming full-scale strikes against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports. Trump told aides he believes another major offensive could hurt diplomatic efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program; he also said he would be comfortable extending negotiations beyond the August 18 deadline.
The Wall Street Journal reported early Wednesday morning that President Trump is seriously considering a return to full-scale war with Iran, holding discussions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine about what administration officials described as "finishing the job." However, the report, cited by N12 political correspondent Asaf Rozentzweig, emphasized that Trump still prefers the diplomatic track for now, telling aides he believes another broad offensive could undermine ongoing nuclear talks and damage efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program. He also stated he would be "fine" with extending negotiations beyond the 60-day deadline of August 18. Simultaneously, Trump expressed satisfaction with the current policy of targeted strikes against Iran each time it violates the memorandum of understanding.
This development follows a series of earlier reports. At 02:55 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first published, citing the Wall Street Journal, that Trump discussed returning to full-scale strikes with Hegseth and General Dan Caine. Minutes later, at 03:09, The Zioneer reported Trump's willingness to extend the August 18 deadline. Then, at 03:37 and 03:42, The Zioneer published bulletins and articles confirming high-level discussions on "finishing the job." Throughout the thread, the source quality has been consistent — all reports cite U.S. officials, with no direct on-record attribution, meaning the details remain attributed to anonymous administration sources.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, the administration's internal debate over Iran has escalated. On Mon Jun 15 at 03:25 Jerusalem, President Trump told the New York Times he would "renew military attacks" on Iran if nuclear talks falter. On Jun 10, reports indicated Trump weighed a broad, short-duration military campaign to break the negotiation deadlock, and that Iran was re-evaluating its diplomatic position after the recent American strikes. A backchannel diplomatic push was also noted on Jun 11.
What remains open: the Wall Street Journal report attributes its information to unnamed administration officials; there is no on-record confirmation from the White House. The specific threshold for resuming full-scale strikes — whether tied to a specific Iranian violation or a negotiation breakdown — has not been defined. Trump has made no final decision, and the timeline for a potential shift in policy remains unstated.
6 developments
- DevelopingTrump tells NYT he will 'renew military attacks' on Iran if nuclear talks falter
- ConfirmedTrump discussed a short but extensive military operation in Iran, the White House weighs short-duration campaign
- StrongTrump pushes Iran toward talks via diplomatic backchannel — Israeli sources assess next phase
- DevelopingReport: Trump Considers Striking Iran if US Soldiers Killed
Source and signal
- Internal intake