President Trump weighs his army choices in Iran as his administration continues negotiating over Tehran’s nuclear program.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
President Trump is elevating the potential for army strikes on Iran.
(SOUNDBITE OF STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: My choice is to unravel this drawback by way of diplomacy. However one factor is for certain. I’ll by no means enable the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they’re by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Cannot let that occur.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
That was the president at his State of the Union handle earlier this week. Talks between the 2 sides are attributable to proceed subsequent week. Within the meantime, Vice President JD Vance is because of meet as we speak with Oman’s international minister, who has served as a mediator within the talks. That is based on a supply aware of the assembly who will not be licensed to talk on the file. In a couple of minutes, we’ll communicate with a former Center East adviser about how U.S. allies are responding. However first, let’s get the newest data.
MARTÍNEZ: NPR White Home correspondent Franco Ordoñez has been following the president’s rhetoric about Iran. So, Franco, what has to occur from Iran’s standpoint to ensure that the U.S. to not assault it?
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: , the factor, A, is Trump hasn’t actually defined what his aims are. What does success appear to be? He additionally hasn’t requested Congress for authorization or taken the chance to totally clarify to the American individuals his reasoning.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. So what has he mentioned?
ORDOÑEZ: Effectively, in his speech, President Trump touched on a number of completely different causes. I imply, first was stopping the nuclear program. Second helps protesters we promised to again if extra have been killed. Effectively, tens of hundreds extra have been killed. , then there may be the stopping of the ballistic missile program that he claims are virtually in a position to attain the U.S.
MARTÍNEZ: What about regime change?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. I imply, that is one other potential cause. And, , A, I imply, we ought to be clear that Trump will not be the primary president to take care of this Iran subject. I imply, former President Obama was broadly criticized for the nuclear deal that he reached. Many noticed it as weak and truly empowering of Iran economically. In the course of the George W. Bush years, Iran accelerated its nuclear program. Bush, after all, labeled Iran a part of its axis of evil. , this has actually been a problem for the reason that revolution in 1979. I imply, Iran had been a contemporary society, and the federal government was truly an ally to the U.S. The regime, although, that took over was largely in-built opposition to the U.S. and to Israel.
MARTÍNEZ: All proper. So then what precisely are the choices? And really, what sort of timeline are we speaking about now?
ORDOÑEZ: I imply, it appears centered on two probably units of targets. One can be, , restricted strikes, maybe in opposition to Iran’s ballistic missile program or nuclear targets or management perhaps. A second may very well be one thing greater – an extended marketing campaign geared toward destabilizing or probably overthrowing the regime. Matthew Kroenig, who labored on the Iranian file on the Pentagon, he informed me the administration will wish to take into account Iran’s response, noting that Iran’s response final time was restricted as a result of they knew, or most likely knew, that the U.S. had restricted goals.
MATTHEW KROENIG: If I have been advising the president and he have been decided to observe by way of on the redline and use drive, I might advocate for a extra restricted strike and talk to the regime that that is only a restricted strike to attempt to induce them to interact in token retaliation and hope that the battle can de-escalate.
MARTÍNEZ: All proper. So how quickly might all of this occur?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah. It may very well be very quickly. The U.S. now has an enormous army presence within the Center East, the most important for the reason that run-up to the Iraq Battle. The U.S. held a 3rd spherical of negotiations with Iranian officers in Geneva Thursday, as you famous, in what observers say often is the final likelihood to stop a battle. I imply, clearly, these conferences are essential. Now, U.S. officers aren’t saying these conferences are decisive, however they’re additionally expressing plenty of frustration about progress on nuclear talks or lack of progress, but additionally over the truth that Iran refuses to barter on ballistic missiles. And so they say that is a, quote, “huge, huge drawback.”
MARTÍNEZ: That is White Home correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Thanks quite a bit.
ORDOÑEZ: Thanks, A.
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts could range. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its authentic broadcast or publication. The authoritative file of NPR’s programming is the audio file.
