{"id":2571879,"date":"2026-02-20T11:25:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T16:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-weighs-limited-military-strike-on-iran-to-add-pressure-to-nuclear-deal-report-claims\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T11:29:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T16:29:54","slug":"trump-weighs-limited-military-strike-on-iran-to-add-pressure-to-nuclear-deal-report-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-weighs-limited-military-strike-on-iran-to-add-pressure-to-nuclear-deal-report-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Weighs Limited Military Strike on Iran to Add Pressure to Nuclear Deal, Report Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-weighs-limited-military-strike-on-iran-to-add-pressure-to-nuclear-deal-report-claims%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2571879&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A new report suggests that President Trump may consider limited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-carries-out-airstrike-against-iranian-backed-militia-target-in-syria-officials-say\/\" title=\"U.S. Carries Out Airstrike Against ...ian-Backed Militia ... in Syria, Officials Say\">military strikes<\/a> against Iran to press for a deal on dismantling Iran\u2019s enriched uranium if talks stall. The piece notes that the United States has built a sizable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/worker-showing-video-of-military-checkpoints-in-dc-if-you-need-all-this-to-protect-your-inauguration-from-the-people-maybe-the-people-didnt-elect-you\/\" title=\"Worker Showing Video of ... Checkpoints in DC: \u201cIf You Need All This To Protect Your Inauguration from the People, Maybe the $%*&amp; People Didn\u2019t $%*&amp; Elect You!\u201d\">military presence<\/a> in the Middle east to deter and defend bases and allies, while negotiations aim to prevent Iran from producing a strategic amount of enriched uranium, though no agreement has been reached. The Wall Street Journal describes a scenario in which an opening limited attack on a few military or government sites could lead to a broader campaign if Iran does not concede.Other outlets depict mixed signals about Trump\u2019s plans\u2014ranging from a preference for diplomacy to hints that regime change could be positioned as the ultimate outcome. Iran\u2019s leadership has issued threats of retaliation, even as U.S.officials reiterate diplomacy as the priority while maintaining substantial military readiness in the region.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A new report trying to pierce the crafted uncertainty of President Donald Trump&rsquo;s intentions toward Iran suggested that Trump may give Iran a taste of what might come if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lausd-schools-close\/\" title=\"LAUSD schools close\">talks taking place<\/a> between the two nations do not achieve the end result Trump wants.<\/p>\n<p>Trump ordered an attack last year that damaged Iran&rsquo;s nuclear facilities, and since then, Iran has come back into focus last month after the regime killed anti-government protesters.<\/p>\n<p>Although Trump had talked of making Iran pay a price, the dearth of military assets in the region meant action was not taken.<\/p>\n<p>Now, America has amassed a vast military presence in the Middle East to attack any target of Trump&rsquo;s choosing, and to defend military bases and allies against any retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, talks have been taking place with the stated goal of ensuring Iran has no enriched uranium it could use to make a nuclear bomb. Although there have been occasional bursts of optimism in the talks, an agreement has remained elusive.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Now, according to a report in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/middle-east\/trump-hints-at-10-day-window-for-decision-on-iran-6370e477?st=fjbZxr&amp;reflink=article_copyURL_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a>, Trump is considering whether military strikes might overcome Iran&rsquo;s unwillingness to make a deal.<\/p>\n<p>The concept is that a limited attack would not be enough to make Iran retaliate, but enough to make Iran capitulate in negotiations.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The opening assault, which if authorized could come within days, would target a few military or government sites,&rdquo; The Wall Street Journal wrote, citing courses it did not name.<\/p>\n<p>If that hard-edged nudge does not produce movement, &ldquo;the U.S. would respond with a broad campaign against regime facilities &mdash; potentially aimed at toppling the Tehran regime,&rdquo; the outlet reported.<\/p>\n<p>The report said it was unclear what Trump actually plans to do. Last week, media <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation\/trump-insisted-to-netanyahu-that-iran-talks-continue-as-israel-pushes-for-tougher-limits\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reports<\/a> said Trump was insistent that the talks would be able to run their course, but over the weekend made a comment that regime change in Iran &ldquo;would be the best thing that could happen,&rdquo; according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/02\/13\/us-news\/trump-regime-change-in-iran-would-be-the-best-thing-that-could-happen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Trump said &ldquo;bad things will happen&rdquo; if Iran stonewalls much longer, according to The Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We may have to take it a step further or we may not. Maybe we are going to make a deal. You are going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days,&rdquo; Trump said.<\/p>\n<p>As noted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/18\/us\/politics\/us-military-iran.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New York Times<\/a>, the U.S. military presence in the Middle East &ldquo;includes dozens of refueling tankers, rushed to the region by United States Central Command, more than 50 additional fighter jets, and two <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" ><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-dni-chief-ufos-seen-that-replicate-technology-unavailable-to-humans\/\" title=\"Former DNI Chief: UFOs Seen That Replicate Technology Unavailable To Humans\">aircraft carrier<\/a> strike groups<\/a>, complete with their accompanying destroyers, cruisers and submarines.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which had been sent from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, was nearing Gibraltar on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-ac37hb evys1bk0\">&ldquo;The president has always been very clear, though, with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option, and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration,&rdquo; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-ac37hb evys1bk0\">&ldquo;He&rsquo;s always thinking about what&rsquo;s in the best interest of the United States of America, of our military, of the American people, and that&rsquo;s how he makes decisions with respect to military action,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>As noted by The Wall Street Journal, Iran has been issuing volleys of bluster on social media.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Iran could sink a U.S. aircraft carrier and hit the American military &ldquo;so hard that it cannot get up again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent report analyzing President Donald Trump\u2019s approach to Iran suggests he may test Tehran with consequences if ongoing talks do not yield the result he wants. Trump authorized an attack last year that damaged Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities, and Iran has come back into focus after the regime crackdown on protests. Although Trump talked about making Iran pay, limited military assets in the region previously prevented action. Today, the U.S. has built up a substantial military presence in the Middle East to strike targets Trump chooses and to defend bases and allies from retaliation. At the same time, negotiations continue with the aim of ensuring Iran cannot obtain enriched uranium that could be used for a bomb. While there have been occasional signs of optimism, no agreement has been reached.<\/p>\n<p>The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is weighing whether a limited strike could break Iran\u2019s reluctance to strike a deal. The idea is that an opening assault\u2014targeting a few military or government sites within days\u2014might pressure Tehran to concede; if that does not produce movement, the U.S. could widen the campaign against regime facilities, potentially aiming to topple the Tehran regime. It was unclear what Trump would actually do. Last week, reports suggested he wanted the talks to run their course, but over the weekend he was quoted as saying regime change in Iran \u201cwould be the best thing that could happen,\u201d and on Thursday he warned that \u201cbad things will happen\u201d if Iran stalls for too long. He added that we may have to take it a step further or we may not, possibly signaling a deal could emerge in about ten days, according to the Journal.<\/p>\n<p>The New York Times notes the U.S. military footprint in the Middle East includes dozens of refueling tankers rushed in by Central Command, more than 50 additional fighter jets, and two aircraft carrier strike groups with their escort ships. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford had been moved toward the region and was nearing Gibraltar. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said diplomacy remains the president\u2019s first option and that Iran would be wise to reach a deal with the administration, stressing that decisions are made with what\u2019s best for the United States, its military, and its people. The Journal also mentions that Iran has been sending strong online messages, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatening to sink a U.S. carrier and to strike the American military so hard that it cannot get up<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2571880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-02-20T110030.445.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3823,73055,74222,3634],"class_list":["post-2571879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-iran","tag-military-strike-2","tag-nuclear-deal-2","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-02-20T110030.445.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2571879"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2571883,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2571879\/revisions\/2571883"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2571880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2571879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2571879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2571879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}