Report: Trump Considers Escalating War and Iran Looks to Expand It to Include Israel

SadaNews - Israeli reports mentioned on Monday evening that US President Donald Trump is considering a broad plan to take action against Iran, which includes military operations that may aim to topple the regime. Meanwhile, regional countries and local entities are pressuring him to accept a proposal for a ceasefire, amidst ongoing exchanges of attacks between Iran and the United States and escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli security assessments indicate that Iranian leadership is contemplating whether to directly expand military confrontations to include Israel, according to Channel 12. Israeli estimates claim that Tehran realizes that the involvement of the Israeli military in the war would impose a significant military and political cost on the Iranian regime. According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation ("Kan 11"), the plan Trump is considering includes military options aimed at changing the Iranian regime's leadership, noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the parties pushing behind the scenes towards this course of action. Netanyahu started a limited security meeting on Monday evening at the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, with participation from senior officials in the security agencies and several ministers to discuss developments related to Iran and the options available in light of the escalating war. In parallel to discussions of expanding military operations, Channel 12 reported that entities around Trump are pressuring him to accept a Qatari proposal for a ten-day ceasefire, aiming to allow for the re-implementation of the agreements provided in the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. However, the United States, according to the report, does not rule out a ceasefire in principle but demands that the truce last longer than ten days and be linked to agreements or arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz. "Kan 11" quoted a knowledgeable source indicating that Qatar, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia are pushing for a ten-day truce to pave the way for reactivating the understandings between Washington and Tehran, while Iran confirmed it had received proposals to de-escalate tensions. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ismail Baqai, announced that Tehran received ideas and proposals from mediators that are under study, without disclosing details or Iran's final position on them. These movements come amidst two parallel paths: one led by regional countries to prevent the war from expanding and to bring both parties back to agreement, and the second involves Washington considering the expansion of military operations, according to narratives reported by Israeli media.