White House weighs Iran strikes as Secretary of State delivers urgent report

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump prefers a diplomatic resolution with Tehran but remains prepared to use military force if necessary, the White House said Tuesday.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters that while diplomacy is the president’s first choice, he is "prepared to use the lethal force of the United States military if needed." Leavitt emphasized that the president remains the final decision-maker on the matter.

The statement comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to brief the "Gang of Eight"—the top leaders of Congress—at the White House. Sources familiar with the meeting said the briefing will focus on Iran.

The U.S. has already deployed a significant naval force near the Iranian coast. On Feb. 19, Trump set a 10-to-15-day deadline for Tehran to reach a new agreement.

The president may address potential strikes against Iran’s nuclear program during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.

The escalating friction with Iran underscores the Trump administration’s signature "maximum pressure" strategy. This posture has moved beyond mere rhetoric; Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s briefing of the "Gang of Eight"—the bipartisan leadership of both houses of Congress—signals that the White House is vetting serious national security options, including potential military action. Historically, such briefings serve as the final procedural step before significant kinetic operations or major shifts in engagement.

President Trump’s 10-to-15-day ultimatum, issued on February 19, creates a high-stakes window that coincides with the upcoming State of the Union address. This timing appears choreographed to provide a dramatic platform for the President to either unveil a "breakthrough deal" or justify a military escalation. It is a quintessential display of diplomatic brinkmanship, intended to force Tehran into concessions through extreme coercion.

For trade-dependent economies like Vietnam, the prospect of a conflict in the Persian Gulf carries grave economic risks. As the world’s primary oil transit corridor, any instability in the Strait of Hormuz would likely trigger a surge in global energy prices, driving up production and freight costs for Hanoi’s manufacturing sector. Regional stakeholders must now brace for significant supply chain disruptions and heightened volatility across global markets.

A potential conflict with Iran would have a direct impact on the Vietnamese-American community, particularly for small business owners. Soaring fuel prices would hit the nail salon industry, phở restaurants, and delivery services especially hard—sectors where Vietnamese entrepreneurs have a strong foothold. As operating costs climb, the resulting squeeze on profit margins would threaten the livelihood of many families. Beyond the economic fallout, the prospect of a new war carries a heavy psychological weight. For the older generation of refugees who lived through the war in Vietnam, news of another U.S. military engagement can resurface deeply buried trauma and trigger a profound sense of anxiety and unease.