Trump mulls Iran options as U . S . forces move into position : NPR

npr.org · Feb 21, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST: President Trump says he hasn't decided whether he will launch a military strike on Iran. While he weighs his options, a military buildup over the past month means the U.S. now has an expansive naval and air presence in the Middle East. We're joined by NPR's national security correspondent Greg Myre. Greg, thanks so much for being with us.GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.SIMON: Let's begin with diplomatic options. What are they? How realistic do they seem?MYRE: Yeah. President Trump says a deal on Iran's nuclear program is his preference, and Iran says it's open to additional talks after the latest round last Tuesday in Geneva. Here's what Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said yesterday on the MS NOW program "Morning Joe."(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MORNING JOE")ABBAS ARAGHCHI: There is no military solution for Iran's nuclear program. The only solution is diplomacy. This is why the U.S. is back in the table of negotiation and is seeking a deal.MYRE: The problem is, the two sides still appear far apart. Iran seems to be talking about some limited concessions here. Trump wants Iran to effectively give up its nuclear program and also scale back its missile program and stop supporting militias in the region. And right now, Scott, no additional talks are planned.SIMON: Greg, if talks to stall, do we know what military options the president's considering?MYRE: Yeah. He has a range of options now that U.S. forces have reached a critical mass in the region. Scott, we're talking about two aircraft carriers, more than a dozen ships, perhaps a couple hundred warplanes. All this spread around the region. Now, at one end of the spectrum, Trump could opt for a brief, limited military strike and then pause the attack and give Iran another chance to negotiate. Trump was asked about this scenario Friday and said, quote, "I guess I can say I'm considering it" (ph).SIMON: What would the heavier end of the military spectrum be like?MYRE: Yeah. Trump has also expressed support for regime change in Iran, and that would almost certainly require a large-scale military operation. The president has been very aggressive about using the military in his second term, but they've been mostly quick, one-and-done strikes. The current U.S. force appears to have the capability to bomb for weeks or even longer, but we should stress the U.S. force is built on fighter jets that would strike from the sky and Navy ships that would fire long distance from the seas. What you don't see are large numbers of U.S. ground troops. And with no prospect of a ground war, Iran's leaders seem to believe they could survive a U.S. bombing campaign. I spoke with Alex Vatanka at the Middle East Institute here in Washington.ALEX VATANKA: The boots-on-the-ground option is not being taken very seriously in Tehran, which means the U.S. can hurt them badly. But it's not going to be sufficient and last long enough to question the regime's ability to stay in power, which means you get hit hard, you're bloodied, but you will rise again, and you move on.SIMON: Greg, we've been watching the military buildup, but at the same time, would it be fair to say we haven't been hearing any case from the president as to why the U.S. should go to war?MYRE: Yeah. That's really accurate, and this has been a very different approach than we've seen from other presidents in the run-up to wars. Trump, for example, hasn't made a major speech to the American people about the prospect for a new Middle East war, though his State of the Union address is on Tuesday. His administration hasn't sought support from Congress or made the case at the United Nations. And aside from Israel, the president hasn't sought to bring in U.S. allies or build an international coalition. Another key point - the president has been intentionally vague about his ultimate goal. Some days, it sounds like the aim is a nuclear deal. Other times, the emphasis seems to be on ousting Iran's theocratic leaders.SIMON: NPR's Greg Myre. Thanks so much.MYRE: Sure thing, Scott. Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.