President Trump, prior to the convening of the U.S.-Iran talks, made sure to remind the world that he has the biggest military in the world. “While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday told reporters, reported Reuters.
That may be, but two unnamed U.S. officials told NBC News that the White House still hasn’t put out clear guidance on what Trump would hope to accomplish with military action if Iran won’t “make a deal.” While Trump has left open the possibility of pursuing regime change in Iran, the two U.S. officials said he has not yet settled on precisely what his objectives for any possible military action would be. They also said there is no clear road map or consensus within the administration over what role the U.S. would play after any such operation.
Tehran, on the other hand, emphasizes diplomacy but, like Trump, is also capable of brandishing the sword. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said during a visit to an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) missile town that Iran has strengthened its deterrence by upgrading domestically manufactured ballistic missiles, PressTV reported. “By upgrading its ballistic missiles in all technical dimensions, Iran has been able to strengthen its deterrence power,” he said.
