The U.S. military is reportedly preparing advanced plans against Iran, including targeting specific individuals and possibly pursuing regime change in Tehran, if ordered by President Donald Trump, according to two U.S. officials speaking to Reuters.
These plans follow previous reports that the U.S. is readying a sustained military operation against Iran, which could include strikes on security and nuclear facilities. Officials did not provide details on potential targets or how regime change could be achieved without a large ground force.
If pursued, regime change would mark a shift from Trump’s earlier campaign promises to avoid military interventions like those in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most U.S. combat capabilities in the region are aboard warships and fighter jets, with additional support from U.S.-based bombers.
Trump has previously approved targeted operations, including the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Quds Force. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2019—the first time the U.S. applied the label to another nation’s military.
A U.S. official highlighted Israel’s recent targeting of Iranian commanders as a model for precision strikes, noting the need for extensive intelligence to minimize unintended harm. However, the exact intelligence on Iranian leaders available to the U.S. remains unclear.
Trump has publicly suggested that regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen” but did not specify potential successors. Requests for comment from the White House and Pentagon were not immediately answered.
