US President Donald Trump is considering the possibility of delivering a new major strike against Iran after contacts between Washington and Tehran to limit Iran's nuclear program and the production of ballistic missiles have not yielded results, CNN reports, citing sources.
On Wednesday, Trump published a message on the social network Truth Social, in which he asked Iran to return to the negotiating table for a "fair and just deal - without nuclear weapons". He warned that the next US strike against Iran "will be much worse" from the operation in the summer of 2025, in which the US military attacked three Iranian nuclear sites.
According to CNN sources, among the options being considered are US air strikes on the Iranian leadership and security forces, which Washington says are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of protesters, as well as strikes on nuclear facilities and government institutions in Iran. No final decision has been made.
US Negotiations and Conditions
Earlier in January, the US and Iran exchanged messages, including through Omani diplomats and through channels between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, discussing the possibility of preventing a US strike, CNN sources also said. A personal meeting was also discussed, but never took place.
CNN reports that Washington has set preconditions for dialogue, including Iran's final refusal to enrich uranium, new restrictions on its ballistic missile program and an end to support for regional proxies.
Negotiations are deadlocked
A key issue has become the US demand that Iran agree to limit the range of its ballistic missiles, CNN sources say. This issue is of great importance to Israel, which spent a significant part of its stockpile of interceptor missiles during the 12-day war in June last year, reflecting Iranian missile strikes.
Iran rejected this demand and informed the US that it was only willing to discuss its nuclear program. Washington has not responded, and the talks have reached a dead end, the sources said.
A US official said on Monday, January 26, that the administration remains ready to engage with Iran if Tehran accepts Washington's conditions.
US threats and Tehran's sharp reaction
Trump's latest threats have provoked a sharp reaction from Tehran. Iranian authorities have said they will respond immediately to US military action, and one of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's key advisers has threatened to strike Israel in the event of an attack.
Trump believes his military capabilities have expanded after the arrival of the US aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" in the region. The Pentagon is also transferring additional air defense systems and plans to deploy mobile air defense complexes to protect US forces from a possible Iranian response.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Iranian armed forces were ready to respond "immediately and forcefully" to any aggression against the country. Ayatollah Ali Shahmani, an adviser to the country's supreme leader, warned that military action would be considered the start of war and threatened "unprecedented" retaliation. response.
Intelligence assessments and the position of allies
According to US intelligence, the Iranian regime has been weakened after US and Israeli strikes on Iranian sites last year, as well as against the backdrop of mass protests in the country.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Iranian regime is probably "weaker than ever". At the same time, CNN sources note that even the removal of the supreme leader does not guarantee the collapse of the system, and there are no signs of a split in the Iranian power structures so far.
Key US allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have said that they will not provide their airspace and territory for a possible operation against Iran, CNN sources report.
Author: Sergey Romashenko