According to reporting by The New York Times, if talks between Washington and Tehran collapse, US President Donald Trump may authorize a large-scale strike on Iran. The paper writes that the aim of such an operation would be to remove Iran’s leaders from power.

Columnists, citing Trump’s advisers, say the president told them that if diplomacy — or an initial limited US strike — failed to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear program, he would be prepared to consider a much broader attack in the coming months.

At the same time, the newspaper notes that Trump has not yet made a final decision. For now, he is said to be leaning toward a limited strike on Iran intended to signal to the Iranian authorities that reaching a deal with the United States remains the most advantageous option for them.

The article, referring to its sources, also reports that a US Navy carrier strike group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford has already transited into the Mediterranean Sea on its way to the Middle East and is expected to arrive off the coast of Israel in the near future.

Earlier, when asked by reporters about the possibility of limited strikes on Iran, Trump stated that he is considering such a scenario.