US President Donald Trump said he would soon decide whether his country should resume large-scale military strikes against Iran. The statement came after the head of state’s first meeting with his national security advisers since the midterm elections, Axios reported.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Washington must decide whether to continue the strikes to ensure the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program. “I would prefer not to destroy the rest of the country if possible, but it may be necessary,” the president said. He added: “You’ll find out soon enough.”
According to Axios, Trump is currently considering three main options: new military strikes, continuing economic pressure on Tehran, or reaching an agreement that would require significant concessions from Iran. The United States is already maintaining a naval blockade aimed at restricting Iranian oil exports.
Mediators seek a path toward a deal
As the president considers his next move, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt are taking part in diplomatic talks with Washington and Tehran.
Qatari mediators are working on a draft that envisions steps to be taken over two days. On the first day, the United States would lift the naval blockade and release some of Iran’s frozen funds. In return, Iran would issue a formal invitation to the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to damaged nuclear facilities.
On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, after which nuclear talks would resume. A key issue in those talks would be Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Axios reported.
Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Tehran had set seven conditions for a diplomatic solution. According to him, until those conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened and there will be no negotiations.
The war has also become a political problem
Trump’s decision will come after elections in which the Republican Party suffered heavy losses. Vice President JD Vance directly stated that “the reason we lost is the war.” Trump described his analysis as largely accurate, but defended the decision to take military action on the grounds that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.
About six in 10 voters said the United States made the wrong decision by starting military action against Iran, according to an Associated Press poll of more than 100,000 voters. The agency reported that the war had driven up fuel prices and caused tens of billions of dollars in damage across the region.
The United States had already carried out limited strikes against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on the eve of the elections. According to the Associated Press, a US official said the actions had been characterized as defensive and followed fire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard targeting a US aircraft. Meanwhile, thousands of US servicemembers remain in the region, while additional forces and a third aircraft carrier have been deployed to the Middle East.
A new large-scale offensive would increase the risk of retaliatory action by Iran and by groups it supports in Yemen and Iraq. According to regional officials cited by the Associated Press, Middle Eastern countries are warning that new strikes could destabilize the region and threaten shipping in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources: axios.com, apnews.com