WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump and his national-security advisers gathered in the White House Situation Room on Feb. 11 to hear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argue for a coordinated attack on Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine were among those present.

During the session, Rubio described Netanyahu's talk of regime change in Iran as "bullshit," according to a single-source account of the meeting.

Trump later posted a public statement addressed to Iran. "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?" Trump wrote.

In 2018, during his first term, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran nuclear deal, which had limited Iran's progress toward developing an atomic weapon.

Since returning to office, Trump has ordered military strikes on Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and Iran.

Washington-based Iran specialist Karim Sadjadpour questioned the administration's approach. "The whole point of this exercise was supposedly to advance the cause of freedom in Iran." Sadjadpour added: "To go from 'help is on the way' to 'we are going to wipe out your civilization' is strategic malpractice."

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert and former Israeli intelligence officer, offered a separate assessment. "This is a colossal disaster and should never have happened," Citrinowicz said.