Trump weighs full-scale strikes on Iran while nuclear talks continue

President Donald Trump has recently held discussions with senior military leaders about the possibility of resuming full-scale military strikes against Iran but has decided, for now, to continue pursuing diplomatic negotiations, according to U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations. The talks, which involved Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, centered on whether the United States should abandon nuclear talks and launch a new offensive, an option some officials described as "finishing the job."

The president has not made a final decision and has told aides he believes another major military campaign could derail ongoing diplomacy and undermine the broader goal of dismantling Iran's nuclear program. Officials said Trump is willing to let negotiations continue beyond an August 18 deadline that had been set for reaching a nuclear agreement, granting diplomacy more time despite slow progress. For the present, he supports a strategy of limited retaliatory strikes in response to any Iranian violations of the existing ceasefire.

This internal debate unfolds as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Doha, Qatar,...