US President Donald Trump is weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters, multiple sources told Reuters, even as Israeli and Arab officials said air power alone would not topple the clerical rulers.

According to CNN, talks between Washington and Iran failed to make inroads on a deal to end the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and that has increased Trump’s openness to a major intervention.

Two US sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Trump wanted to create conditions for “regime change” after a crackdown crushed a nationwide protest movement earlier this month, killing thousands of people.

To do so, he was looking at options to hit commanders and institutions that Washington holds responsible for the violence, to give protesters the confidence that they could overrun government and security buildings, they said.

One of the US sources said the options being discussed by Trump’s aides also included a much larger strike intended to have a lasting impact, possibly against the nuclear or ballistic missile programs.

The other US source said Trump has not yet made a final decision on a course of action, including whether to take the military path.

Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons, warning that any future US attack would be more severe than the US’s bombing campaign against three nuclear sites that ended the Israel-Iran war in June. He described the ships in the region as an “armada” sailing to Iran.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran was “preparing itself for a military confrontation, while at the same time making use of diplomatic channels.” However, Washington was not showing openness to diplomacy, the official said.

Sources told CNN that US and Iranian officials earlier this month discussed a potential in-person meeting, but it never came to fruition.

The report said Washington has demanded, as preconditions, a permanent end to Iran’s uranium enrichment, new limits on its ballistic missile program, and a stop to its support for regional proxy forces.

According to CNN, Iran has balked at Washington’s demand for curbs to the missile program, and has said it will only........

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