Can the Khamenei regime collapse... Trump says "Of course"

Regarding whether to participate in an attack on Iran: "No final decision"

As the military conflict between Israel and Iran continues, the United States is reviewing the possibility of military intervention, heightening concerns about further escalation.

President Trump stated on the 18th (local time) that the United States has not yet made a final decision on whether to participate in Israel's attack on Iran.

At the White House that day, when President Trump was asked by reporters about the Iran issue, he answered, "I have an idea of what I will do." He added, "I want to make the final decision one second before the deadline," explaining, "because situations change," and "especially in war, that's even more the case."

Earlier that morning, President Trump gave an ambiguous answer to reporters, saying that the U.S. "may or may not" carry out an attack on Iran, maintaining the same context. He also said that he "does not seek conflict, but if it comes down to a choice between a fight or Iran possessing nuclear weapons, he will do what is necessary."

If the U.S. joins in an attack against Iran, there is a possibility that it could actually lead to a regime change. When asked if the Khamenei regime could fall, President Trump replied, "Of course," and "anything can happen."

President Trump's position seems to be based on his view that Iran is close to developing nuclear weapons. He said again today, "I think Iran has only a few weeks left until it obtains nuclear weapons."

However, this contrasts with the past position of the U.S. intelligence agencies. Tulsi Gabbard, Director of the National Intelligence Agency, testified in the Senate last March, assessing that Iran is not pursuing nuclear development. President Trump appears to put more trust in Israeli intelligence. Yesterday, he said Gabbard's comments "don't matter," and today reiterated, "there are only a few weeks left."

Within the Trump administration, there appear to be no aides opposing the president's view. However, among the core MAGA supporters of President Trump, many voices are against the war. There have even been arguments between MAGA supporters and the politicians around President Trump.

Ultimately, it is difficult to predict what final decision President Trump will make. From his perspective, the best outcome would be to force Iran into capitulation through maximum pressure without actually deploying troops. However, there are varying prospects for whether such a strategy will succeed and what direction this war might take if it does not.

Washington = Sang-eun Lee, Special Correspondent selee@hankyung.com