President Trump is preparing to escalate the five-month-plus conflict with Iran, authorizing a new round of US strikes that could start as soon as this weekend and run for several days, according to American officials. Speaking at Camp David, Trump vowed that "we will be hitting them very hard" to compel talks and predicted the regime would eventually "peter out," the Wall Street Journal reports. "At some point, they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore,'" the president predicted. He added, per the AP: "We just want to win." Officials noted that the plan could still be halted if there's sudden diplomatic movement, or if Trump simply reconsiders, per the Journal.
Sources tell CBS News that energy infrastructure such as power plants and refineries will be the likely targets. Those sources also note there'd been discussion about trying to wrap up the strikes before the financial markets kick off on Monday to minimize impact to the US and global economy. The shift comes days after a surprise Iranian attack on US troops in Jordan and subsequent American retaliation. Trump has privately dismissed the interim peace deal as meaningless and described Iranian negotiators as untrustworthy, while Iranian officials say constant US threats undermine any remaining confidence, per the Journal.
Tehran maintains it's not pursuing a nuclear weapon, and US officials say Iran isn't currently enriching uranium, though potential targets include a centrifuge site at Pickaxe Mountain. As both sides harden positions over Iran's nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz, some US officials think Tehran is stalling, betting Trump will eventually face too much domestic pressure to sustain the war.
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