President Donald Trump delivered a stark message to Iran on Thursday, urging its leadership to move quickly toward a negotiated settlement as U.S. officials simultaneously prepare potential military action they believe could decisively weaken the regime.

“The Iranian negotiators are very different and ‘strange,’” the president posted on Truth Social. “They are ‘begging’ us to make a deal, which they should be doing since they have been militarily obliterated, with zero chance of a comeback, and yet they publicly state that they are only ‘looking at our proposal.’ WRONG!!!

“They better get serious soon, before it is too late,” Trump added, “because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won’t be pretty!”

Trump’s comments came as reports indicated that U.S. defense planners are developing a sweeping bombing campaign should diplomatic efforts collapse, with several strategic options under consideration to intensify pressure on Tehran.

Among the possibilities under review are operations targeting Iran’s key oil infrastructure and strategic islands. These include a potential move against Kharg Island, the country’s primary oil export hub; taking control of Larak Island, which serves as a military foothold near the Strait of Hormuz; capturing additional disputed islands near the strait’s western entrance; and intercepting or halting vessels transporting Iranian oil, a step that could significantly disrupt the regime’s revenue stream.

Alex Plitsas, a former Pentagon official now affiliated with the Atlantic Council, said seizing such territory would limit Iran’s ability “to strike at ships that are in the area.

“Kharg, in particular, is where 90% of the oil is loaded for Iran, so that is more of the US taking a chess piece off [Iran’s] board and putting another bargaining chip in its pocket to deal with the Iranians,” he added. “I think the thought there is that if they take Kharg and the Iranians were to attack and blow up their own infrastructure, that would be basically self-defeating. So in this case, it would be an operation to seize the island and force the Iranians to negotiate.”

He cautioned, however, that Iran might retaliate in other ways even if it refrains from striking U.S. forces directly on Kharg Island.

“they may attack regional energy, oil and gas infrastructure in other countries.”

Military planners also face logistical hurdles if ground troops are deployed. Any attempt to capture the islands would likely rely on aerial insertion rather than naval landings, due to the risks involved in navigating contested waters.

“You’d have to transit The Straits with the ships in order to get in there to [put Marines on islands using landing crafts], and we can’t do that,” he explained. “You’d give up the element of surprise, and the straits are contested right now.”

“If they come out by air, you’d be vulnerable to shoulder-fired missiles up to 12,000 feet and below. And then Iran has land attack cruise missiles, as well. So the US would have to account for all of that as part of the planning process.”

Other options reportedly being weighed include deploying special operations forces to secure highly enriched uranium at nuclear facilities previously targeted by U.S. strikes, or launching additional air raids to ensure the material cannot be accessed.

At the same time, diplomatic channels remain active. Pakistan’s foreign minister confirmed Thursday that indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran are underway, with mediation efforts involving Islamabad as well as Egypt, Turkey, and other countries.

Speculation earlier in the week suggested Vice President JD Vance might travel to Pakistan to finalize a cease-fire, though a source indicated that while the idea remains a “possibility,” it is not “even close to happening.”

Trump had earlier signaled openness to a negotiated resolution, announcing on Monday a delay in planned strikes against Iran’s energy sector to allow room for talks. That pause was later extended by an additional 10 days on Thursday.

Even as negotiations continue, U.S. and Israeli forces have maintained sustained air operations targeting Iran’s military infrastructure and leadership. Washington has also presented Tehran with a 15-point proposal outlining conditions for ending the conflict.

The U.S. framework calls for Iran to dismantle its nuclear capabilities, abandon efforts to develop atomic weapons, transfer enriched uranium to international oversight, restrict its missile program to defensive purposes, keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and halt financial support for proxy groups.

Despite Trump’s assertion earlier in the week that Iran had agreed to step back from pursuing nuclear weapons, Iranian officials rejected the American proposal and countered with their own plan, which would allow them to retain control over the strait and continue backing allied militant organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

As diplomacy unfolds, the U.S. military presence in the region continues to expand, with additional naval assets and thousands of troops heading toward the Middle East.

The conflict enters its fourth week on Friday. Trump had initially suggested early in the fighting that the campaign might last “four weeks or so.”

“What we had to do is get rid of the cancer,” Trump told Republican lawmakers Wednesday night. “We had to cut out the cancer. The cancer was Iran with a nuclear weapon. We’ve cut it out. Now we’re going to finish it off.”

“They are negotiating, by the way,” the president added, “and they want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people. They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”

{Matzav.com}