Axios reported that Trump went ahead with the escalation because he was fed up with the stalemate with Iran. One source close to the president told Axios reporter Barak Ravid that the US military operation was the "beginning of a process that could lead to a confrontation with the Iranians."

The source suggested the purpose of it could be to create a situation to frame Iran as the aggressor, saying that the "humanitarian" mission means "if the Iranians do something, they will be the bad guys and we will have the legitimacy to act."