Trump Considers Hawk-Led Iran Strikes Amid GOP Shift

President Donald Trump is increasingly leaning toward authorizing military action against Iran's nuclear facilities, moving away from the isolationist advisers and negotiation-friendly stance that characterized his earlier presidency. Trump has been privately consulting hawkish figures like Senators Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton, as well as military leaders such as Gen. Michael Kurilla, signaling a shift toward a more aggressive posture. Despite his public ambiguity, Trump has warned that Iran must surrender unconditionally and has considered deploying American B-2 stealth bombers carrying 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs to target deeply fortified sites like the Fordo enrichment facility. This hawkish turn has found broad support among Republican leaders and Trump voters, who favor strong U.S. support for Israel and preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while many MAGA-aligned figures and rank-and-file Republicans remain wary of deeper U.S. involvement. The president’s stance has sparked internal GOP debates, with figures like Tucker Carlson opposing further entanglement in Middle Eastern conflicts and hawks like Ted Cruz advocating for regime change in Iran. Overall, Trump is balancing hawkish advisors' push for military engagement with caution, maintaining that any decision will be made at the last moment.