Trump confirms he was briefed on military options agains Iran: Either we ‘blast the hell out of them’ or make a deal

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, May 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, May 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump confirms he was briefed this week by Central Command chief Adm. Bradley Cooper about military options against Iran.

“Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal — those are the options,” Trump tells reporters outside the White House.

Trump claims that on a “human basis,” he would prefer not to bomb Iran, but also doesn’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.

He again claims that Iran’s leadership is so disjointed that different factions want different types of deals with the US. “They’re not getting along with each other, and it puts us in a bad position.”

Asked what specifically he’s unsatisfied with when it comes ot Iran, Trump says, “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to.”

Asked whether he still plans to host the leaders of Israel and Lebanon, Trump responds, “They’re going to be coming.”

The US has been pushing such direct engagement between the two leaders for weeks, with little success.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has thus far held off on engaging directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He faces significant domestic pressure back home, including threats from Hezbollah, and it’s unclear whether Aoun would be willing to meet Netanyahu while Israeli forces continue to occupy a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.