President Donald Trump displays what he called a "Happy Trump" pin, as he attends a meeting with oil industry executives, at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump has leaned towards strikes in Iran as the regime was quietly aiming to "buy more time," according to an insider on Monday.
Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were reportedly discussing different options last week, leaning on diplomacy as the immediate decision, as no final negotiations have been met, Axios reported.
The Cabinet was expected to have further discussion on the matter on Tuesday.
"As reports emerged that hundreds of protesters were killed over the weekend, Trump told reporters Iran was 'starting to' cross his red line," according to Axios.
"If Trump orders strikes, they would likely target elements of the regime involved in internal security and seen as responsible for the crackdown," the outlet reported.
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