China Press Today reported: "It is reported that US President Trump has recently listened to a report on the military strike plan against Iran."
The New York Times of the United States on Saturday (January 10) cited an anonymous US official, reporting that Trump is seriously considering authorizing the US military to launch a military strike.
Comment: Looking at the development of the situation, a military strike by the United States against Iran has become an inevitable trend. Trump is at a critical stage of the 2026 midterm election. The short-term political gains from the arrest of Maduro in Venezuela have given him a taste of success, and the escalating protests within Iran have been seen as a "god-given opportunity" for regime change. Listening to the report on the strike plan and releasing related signals essentially use external toughness to consolidate the conservative base, and this election-first logic has significantly lowered the threshold for military adventurism.
More importantly, the US and Israel have formed a "strategic consensus" on taking a hard line against Iran. The frequent calls between Secretary of State Rubio and Netanyahu, and Israel's continuous deterrence against Iran's nuclear facilities, are driven by both sides' core interests of jointly containing Iran's regional influence. Israel's push further compresses Trump's policy flexibility. Meanwhile, Iran's situation highlights the urgency of the conflict: the economic collapse at home has led to protests that have taken on a political nature. Although the regime still has the Revolutionary Guard supporting it, the social division caused by the livelihood crisis is difficult to reconcile in the short term.
In addition, although there is a divergence between the hawks and isolationists within the United States, the interest-driven lobbying of the military-industrial complex, the need to maintain oil hegemony, and the speculative mentality of "taking advantage of Iran's internal chaos," are gradually overshadowing the voices of restraint. Various signs indicate that the Trump administration has completed the preparation of the military strike plan and public opinion groundwork. Once the Iranian protests escalate further, or the US and Israel determine that the "window period for regime change" is mature, a military strike may be launched at any time. This conflict, centered around geopolitical interests and election games, has become difficult to reverse through diplomatic means.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853992147503108/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.