President Donald Trump met with his national security team and said the U.S. will soon decide whether to resume military operations against Iran, weighing strikes, economic pressure, or a diplomatic deal.
US President Donald Trump met with his national security team on Thursday to deliberate on whether to resume military operations against Iran, according to Axios and Fox News reporting cited by multiple outlets. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Washington would soon "make a decision" regarding the resumption of the war.
According to Axios, Trump is considering three options:
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held several phone calls with regional mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt about a draft proposal. The proposal urges the two sides to take several steps over a two-day period to build mutual confidence towards a deal.
On the first day, the US would lift the naval blockade and release some amount of Iranian frozen funds. In response, Iran would issue an official invitation to the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to bombed nuclear sites. On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, following which nuclear talks would take place, focusing on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Trump said: "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You'll know soon enough."
He also questioned whether Washington should proceed with further strikes to guarantee that Iran's nuclear programme is permanently dismantled and that "it will never happen again."
During a phone call on Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi told Trump that Iraqi soil must under no circumstances be used to launch strikes against neighbouring nations. The Prime Minister's Office released a formal statement on X declaring: "Mr. Prime Minister affirmed Iraq's position calling for respect for the sovereignty of states, non-use of its territories as a launchpad for aggression against neighbouring countries."
The decision could determine whether the U.S. resumes major military operations against Iran, with potential consequences for regional stability, global oil markets, and U.S. domestic politics following the recent midterm elections.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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