Washington — Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has informed his national security team that should any military action by the United States be taken against Iran, he demands a swift and decisive blow to the regime and does not want this action to lead to a prolonged war lasting weeks or months.

This was stated by an American official and two sources familiar with the discussions to NBC News. One of the sources familiar with the negotiations emphasized, "If he takes action, he wants that action to be definitive and decisive."

However, Trump's advisors have so far been unable to assure him that the Iranian regime would collapse quickly following a U.S. military strike. The American official and two sources familiar with the discussions say there are concerns that the United States may not have all the necessary equipment and assets in the region to respond to an aggressive reaction from Iran — which government officials expect.

These circumstances may lead Trump to approve a more limited military operation in the early stages while keeping the option of escalation open for himself — if he decides to take military action at all. The American official and one of the sources emphasized that the situation is changing rapidly and no decision had been made by Wednesday afternoon.