Trump Says Decision on Fresh Iran Strikes Coming Soon

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said he will decide soon whether to resume large-scale military operations against Iran. He said Iran cannot take any step regarding its nuclear programme without American approval.

According to a report by Axios, President Trump met national security advisers, where possible new strikes on Iran, maintaining economic pressure and the prospects of a diplomatic agreement to end the war were discussed. Two US officials have confirmed the meeting.

According to Axios, this was the first discussion on Iran since the US midterm elections, held during the weekly intelligence briefing given to the president.

According to Fox News, the meetings considered possible military action against Iran and matters related to resuming the war. However, it was not made clear whether any decision was taken or any new operation approved.

Fox News also referred to the new moon in the Middle East on 9 November. According to the report, the night will be darker, which is considered advantageous for some military operations. However, this cannot be taken as the final date of any possible attack or confirmation of a plan.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he was considering whether further military action was necessary to prevent Iran’s nuclear programme from being revived. He said: ‘Now we will decide whether we want to carry out further strikes to ensure that Iran’s nuclear programme has been completely destroyed and that it never happens again.’

Trump added that, if possible, he would not want to destroy the rest of the country, meaning Iran, but he might have to do so. ‘You will know soon,’ he said. He said the United States had to decide whether to move further forward in the matter or to finalise it.

The US president claimed that fraud in American elections is so widespread that it is unimaginable, but did not present any specific evidence in support of his claim. He praised Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he had done an excellent job.

Diplomatic contacts

According to Axios, diplomatic contacts between Iran and regional countries also intensified during this period. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made telephone calls to mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt.

According to the report, Qatari mediators are continuing talks with Iranian officials and the White House on a draft proposed agreement, which aims to restore confidence between the parties through reciprocal steps within two days.

Under the proposed plan, on the first day the United States would end its naval blockade of Iran and release some of Tehran’s frozen assets. In return, Iran would formally invite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect the nuclear facilities that were bombed. This step would be in line with an agreement reached in Cairo a year ago.

On the second day of the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, after which negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme would resume. These talks would give special attention to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

According to the report, the proposal is still part of diplomatic discussions, and there is no information that any party has accepted the proposed terms.

Military preparations

According to a US official cited by Axios, US Central Command (CENTCOM) is finalising preparations for possible new strikes on Iran, although Washington has not yet received any new order.

The possible increase in military activity may be linked to the arrival in the Middle East of a third US Navy aircraft carrier strike group. The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its battle group will remain in Singapore for a few days and will not reach the CENTCOM area of responsibility until mid-November.

According to a report in the New York Times, the United States and Israel have prepared a plan for brief but intense strikes on Iran. Action is likely if President Trump gives his approval. It could involve thousands of personnel stationed at US military bases in Gulf countries and more than 12 warships in the region.

Iran’s energy, nuclear, missile and drone infrastructure has been included among the possible targets.