President Donald Trump has been cautioned by senior advisers that a broad military assault on Iran would probably fail to bring down the regime and could instead trigger a far-reaching regional conflict, according to U.S. officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

The report said the administration is currently watching closely how Tehran responds to ongoing unrest, with officials weighing the regime’s treatment of protesters before deciding whether any military action is warranted and, if so, how extensive it should be.

U.S. officials said a large-scale operation would require a significant buildup of American forces in the Middle East, both to conduct a sustained strike and to protect U.S. troops and allies, including Israel, from retaliation. American and regional officials warned the White House that even an intense bombing campaign was unlikely to topple Iran’s leadership and could instead ignite a wider war. Limited strikes, they added, might encourage protesters but would not stop the regime’s violent crackdown.

According to the officials, Trump has not yet reached a final decision, but has ordered military resources to be positioned in the region should he choose to authorize a major attack.

“The president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.

“Only President Trump knows what he’s going to do and a very, very small team of advisers are read into his thinking.”

At one point Wednesday, tensions appeared to peak, with U.S. military action against Iran seeming increasingly likely. The situation later eased after Trump said he had been informed that the killing of protesters had come to a halt.

“We have been notified pretty strongly that the killing in Iran is stopping, and there’s no plan for executions or an execution,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

He added, “I’ve been told that in good authority. We’ll find out about it, I’m sure. If it happens, we’ll be very upset.”

By Thursday morning, Iranian authorities had reopened the country’s airspace, which had been shut for several hours. The regime also announced it would not carry out the execution of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old man detained during the recent protests whose case had become a rallying point for demonstrators.

{Matzav.com}