Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brumar89 who wrote (1548540)

7/18/2025 10:01:19 AM

From: Brumar89

Respond to of 1583556

disq.us

Trump Chickened Out on Plan to ‘Truly Decimate’ Iran’s Nuke Sites

President Donald Trump passed on a chance to launch a sustained strike on Iran that could have fully dismantled the country’s nuclear program.

Months in the making, the plan was crafted by the commander of the U.S. Central Command, Erik Kurilla, a four-star general nicknamed “the Gorilla” and one of the few voices on the Middle East that Trump actually listens to, NBC News reported.

Instead of the one-night strike on three facilities, Kurilla proposed hammering six critical sites repeatedly over several weeks, which would “truly decimate” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, unnamed officials told NBC News.

Trump was briefed on the more aggressive plan but ultimately rejected it because he didn’t want to risk dragging the U.S. into another long foreign war given that he has touted himself as the “president of peace” and pledged to rein in America’s foreign entanglements. Trump also reportedly worried that a drawn-out missile campaign could rack up heavy casualties on both sides of the conflict.

“We were willing to go all the way in our options, but the president did not want to,” a source told NBC.

Instead, Trump greenlit Operation Midnight Hammer, carried out on June 22, which targeted three nuclear sites in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.

Officials believe the attack severely damaged the Fordow enrichment facility, setting Iran’s nuclear capabilities at the site back by as much as two years. But the damage at Isfahan and Natanz was far less extensive; Iran could have those sites back up and running within months, sources told NBC.