US President Donald Trump has told his National Security team that he wants any military action against Iran to deal a “quick and decisive” blow to the regime, without a “war” dragging on for weeks or months, the television network reported. NBC News on Wednesday night (14).
According to US government officials quoted on condition of anonymity by the broadcaster, Trump expressed that “if something is done, he wants it to be definitive”, although his advisers have not yet assured him that the regime would collapse quickly after a possible military attack.
The sources also said that there is concern about the US’ ability to protect itself in the face of a possible response from Tehran, which they assess will be “very aggressive”. Trump said on Wednesday that he had been informed that executions of protesters in Iran had stopped.
“We have been informed by very important sources on the other side, and they have told us that the killings have stopped and that the executions will not be carried out. I hope that is true,” he told reporters at the White House.
NBC reported that Trump outlined to his national security team the objectives of any American military operation in Iran and that the Department of Defense prepared options to meet those objectives. Although the situation is evolving rapidly, so far no decision has been made by the White House, the sources said.
In turn, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, sent a message to Trump asking him “not to make the same mistake” as in June 2025, when he attacked the country’s nuclear facilities, and asked for a “diplomatic way out”, during an exclusive interview with the American TV network Fox News.
