“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Trump has said. Iran remains defiant in the face of ultimatums, pledging unprecedented retaliation to any attack.

Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain
Feb 18, 2026

A former senior U.S. intelligence official who is an informal advisor to the Trump administration on Middle East policy told Drop Site that, based on his discussions with current officials, he assesses an 80-90% likelihood of U.S. strikes within weeks.

Iran realizes that it is facing an unprecedented threat from the U.S. if a deal that conforms with Trump’s terms is not reached, former Pentagon official Jasmine El-Gamal told Drop Site. “This is not a dress rehearsal,” she said. “This is it. This is not the negotiations of last year or the year before or the year before that. They’re backed into a corner. There’s no off ramp.”

  • Wakmrow [he/him]@hexbear.net
    9·
    16 hours ago

    It’s astonishing that you think, after the last 2-3 years of the Gazan genocide, that the US and Israel are going to target military sites only.

    • couldhavebeenyou@lemmy.zip
      14·
      15 hours ago

      What motive do you think the US have to throw their bombs on Iranian civilians instead of the regime?

      • Piperpiper1@lemmy.ml
        61·
        13 hours ago

        There’s no fucking way you’re this stupid, so drop the bait.

        Engage in good faith, fuckhead. The country that is funding a genocide in Palestine, killed 1.5M Iraqis and almost 1M Afghanis and this is just recent history targets fucking civilians more than they do military targets.

      • CommieKhinkali@lemmygrad.ml
        8·
        15 hours ago

        can you define the regime? israel has been claiming that the citizens and children they murder are part of hamas, the usa could easily say that the civilians they kill were the members of “the regime”. now why would they do that? idk you ask them why they killed millions of citizens of afghanistan and iraq and get back to me.

        • couldhavebeenyou@lemmy.zip
          13·
          11 hours ago

          ‘The regime’ = the Iranian government including their religious leadership

          You seem more focused on Palestine than what’s going on in Iran tbh

      • Wakmrow [he/him]@hexbear.net
        7·
        15 hours ago

        Gestures to all of US history.

        But real talk you can’t overthrow a government with planes. So they’ll target civilians as “part of the government” in order to try to start an uprising against Iran. It’s the same logic as sanctions.