WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump faces potentially the hardest choice of his time in the White House, as he weighs up whether the United States should join Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran.

Trump fuelled speculation about a US intervention as he dashed back from a G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday, warning that the United States could kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, but would not “for now”. The choice is a monumental one for a president who has vowed throughout both his first and second terms in the Oval Office to get the United States out of its “forever wars” in the Middle East.

“It’s a major political and military choice that could define his legacy in the Middle East,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, director of the Iran programme at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said.

As Trump met his National Security Council in the White House on Tuesday, there were already hints that he was considering abandoning what was until recently his preferred diplomatic route.

The most likely option under consideration by Trump would be the use of giant US “bunker-buster” bombs against Iran’s deeply buried Fordow nuclear facility that Israel’s bombs could not reach.

US officials said dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme — which Western countries say Tehran is using to seek a nuclear weapon remained President Trump’s priority.

Fluid situation

Trump also implied that the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei is back on the table, just days after a US official said he had waved off such a move by Israel.

Officials stressed that Trump had not yet made a decision and was keeping all options on the table, with the situation fluid and changing “hourly”.

The Axios news site said Trump was even considering a new meeting between his top negotiator Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

A game-changer, however, would be any Iranian attack on US forces in the region, with an official saying that Trump would not tolerate a “hair on the back of an American” being harmed.

Trump’s change of tone is remarkable for coming less than a week after the US president — who has openly talked about wanting to win the Nobel Peace Prize — called on Israel to avoid strikes.

But amid frequent phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Netanyahu’s own hints about pursuing `regime change’ in Iran, Trump has pivoted.

He has ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the region along with a number of military aircraft, raising questions about whether he will act.

‘Decisions on your shoulders’

A further hint that action may be on the cards came from the White House’s apparent efforts to see off any backlash from his own Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

There has been growing opposition to any Iran intervention from the isolationist wing of his base, who hold him to his pledge to keep the United States out of wars like those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Vice President J.D. Vance defended his boss, saying Trump had “earned some trust” on the issue and “may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian (uranium) enrichment”.

“Having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish American people’s goals,” the Iraq veteran said, in a nod to MAGA sceptics.

The president himself, meanwhile, hinted at his mood as he mulled his critical decision.

He reposted a comment by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, saying God had “spared” Trump from an assassination attempt last year.

“The decisions on your shoulders I would not want to be made by anyone else. You have many voices speaking to you Sir, but there is only ONE voice that matters. HIS voice,” Huckabee said.

Caught between fear and resolve

As Israeli air strikes on Tehran show no sign of abating, many residents have fled the Iranian capital. But for others, escape is not an option.

“I’ve heard multiple explosions near my home in western Tehran,” said Mina, a 37-year-old computer scientist. “I wanted to leave, but I have several cats and I can’t abandon them.”

Israel on Monday warned residents to leave a northern district of the capital before striking the headquarters of state television — an attack the broadcaster said killed three people.

It came two days after Israel declared it had “opened a path to Tehran” by knocking out Iran’s air defences.

But amid the ensuing exodus, those left behind are grappling with fear, shortages and a sense of defiant endurance.

On Tuesday, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations — some several kilometres (miles) long — as remaining residents rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies.

Grocery and convenience stores stayed open, but markets and jewellery shops across the city remained closed. Security checkpoints have been set up across Tehran, adding to the atmosphere of tension as authorities monitor movement in and out of key districts.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2025