AFP:

President Donald Trump's threats to attack Iran provide little detail on what the long-term US goal would be in the event of a sustained or even brief conflict.

Trump sent warships and dozens of fighter planes to the Middle East and has several options to choose from that could destabilize the region.

Will Trump order surgical strikes targeting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the backbone of the clerical regime in power, try to take out its missile program -- as Israel wants him to do -- or even try to force regime change in Tehran?

Iran has threatened severe reprisal if it is attacked.

- What are the options? -

Trump said Thursday he would decide in 10 or 15 days whether to order strikes on Iran if no nuclear deal is reached.

The news outlet Axios has reported that Trump was presented with an array of military options that include a direct attack on Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

Trump has said many times he prefers a diplomatic route leading to an agreement that addresses not only Iran's nuclear program but also its ballistic missile capability and its support for militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran has said no to making such concessions.

The United States and Iran recently held two rounds of indirect talks, in Oman and Switzerland. They have not brought the two sides' position closer, with talks set to resume Thursday in Switzerland.

Trump is "surprised" that Iran has not "capitulated" given the massive US military buildup, his envoy Steve Witkoff has said.

"The Trump administration most likely aims for a limited conflict that reshapes the balance of power without trapping it in a quagmire," said Alex Vatanka, an analyst at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

Vatanka said Iran is now expecting "a short, high-impact military campaign that would cripple Iran's missile infrastructure, undermine its deterrent, and reset the balance of power after the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025."

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