Trump to further monitor Iran’s response to unrest before deciding on extent of attack — WSJ

US President Donald Trump will further monitor Iran’s response to demonstrations before deciding on the extent of possible strikes against the country, after being advised that a major attack is unlikely to topple the Islamic Republic and could lead to a broader conflict, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Citing US officials, the report says Trump’s advisers told him the US needs more military assets in the Middle East to carry out a significant attack, as well as to protect both American troops in the region and allied nations like Israel if Iran responds.

The newspaper says both US officials and unspecified Middle Eastern partners told the White House that wide-scale strikes were unlikely bring down the regime and that while a more targeted attack could improve morale among demonstrators, it was unlikely to the end the deadly crackdown on protesters.

According to the officials in the report, Trump called for military assets to be moved into position if he chooses to order intensive strikes, but has yet to ultimately decide on what he will do.