There are growing tensions in the conservative movement over whether President Donald Trump should agree to a new nuclear deal with Iran or use force against it.

After canceling negotiations with the U.S. scheduled for Sunday, Tehran has signaled it is willing to talk.

In recent months, however, Israel talked about a unique window of opportunity to strike Iranian facilities: Iran’s air defences had been damaged by Israeli attacks last year and its proxies in the region, part of what Tehran calls the Axis of Resistance, had been degraded, including Hezbollah.

"There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter... come to an end," Trump wrote on social media.

The missile and air war that Israel and Iran have spent decades planning for has come, and it is spectacular and terrifying. Israeli officials say they need at least two weeks to degrade Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

Iran appears ready to retaliate if it faces too much pushback. It says this could be “proportionate,” although that leaves many options open.

The endgame of this conflict and the future of the region will be profoundly shaped by how a wounded Iran responds.

Trump allies are trying to counter a private pressure campaign to ditch Steve Witkoff’s diplomatic effort and join Israel in attacking Tehran.