President Trump said Thursday he will soon decide whether to resume all-out war in Iran, after meeting with his national security team on Iran for the first time since the midterm elections.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: "Now we will make a decision." He said "Do we want to go further" with strikes to ensure Iran's nuclear program is dead and that "it will never happen again?" before adding: "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You'll know soon enough."
The meeting on Iran was part of his weekly intelligence briefing, two US officials said. For now, the president is considering three options: launching new strikes, continuing to strangle Iran's regime economically, or cutting a deal that includes significant concessions to the Iranians. The election was seen as an inflection point for Trump on whether to unleash a new wave of bombing to try to bring the war to an end.
As Trump weighs his next move, there was a flurry of diplomatic activity on Thursday, including multiple phone calls between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and regional mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, Oman and Egypt. Qatari mediators continued discussions with the Iranians and the White House about a draft proposal calling for the two sides to take a series of steps over two days to build mutual confidence toward a broader deal.
On the first day, the US would lift its naval blockade and release some of Iran's frozen funds. In return, Iran would issue an official invitation to the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to bombed nuclear sites, based on an agreement reached in Cairo a year ago, regional sources say. On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, after which nuclear talks would resume, focusing on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a key player in indirect negotiations with the US, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday, days after a call between the two and proposals by Putin to mediate. Rezaei said he delivered a message to Putin from Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and that Putin stressed he was ready to try to help end the war. "We told Mr. Putin that we announced seven conditions to the Americans regarding diplomacy, and that until the Americans fulfill our seven conditions, neither the Strait of Hormuz will be opened nor will there be any negotiations," Rezaei said after the meeting.
US Central Command is finalizing preparations to potentially resume major combat operations in Iran, though it has not received a new directive from Washington, a US official said. One signal of possible renewed strikes could be the arrival of a third US Navy aircraft carrier strike group in the Middle East. A US official said the USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group will spend a few days in Singapore starting Friday for a port call, and will not reach CENTCOM's area of responsibility before mid-November.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Trump's decision will determine whether the US-Iran conflict escalates into renewed major combat operations or shifts toward de-escalation.
- The fate of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping passage, is tied to the diplomacy: Iran says it will not reopen while its conditions are unmet.
- The competing tracks of Qatari mediation and Russian offers to mediate will shape whether any deal can emerge.
Background
The US has been conducting strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and maintaining a naval blockade as part of a conflict Trump says is aimed at ensuring Iran's nuclear program is dead. A year ago, an agreement was reached in Cairo over International Atomic Energy Agency inspections, and Iran holds a stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The midterm elections were widely seen as the moment Trump might decide whether to escalate.
Key Perspectives
- Donald Trump: He is considering new strikes, continued economic pressure, or a deal with significant concessions to Iran, saying "Now we will make a decision" and "You'll know soon enough."
- Mohsen Rezaei (Iran): Iran has announced seven conditions to the Americans, and "until the Americans fulfill our seven conditions, neither the Strait of Hormuz will be opened nor will there be any negotiations."
- Vladimir Putin: He stressed he is ready to try to help end the war and has proposed mediating between the US and Iran.
What to Watch
- Whether Trump announces a decision in the coming days and whether CENTCOM receives a new directive to resume major combat operations.
- Whether the third US Navy carrier strike group, led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt, enters CENTCOM's area of responsibility around mid-November, a possible signal of renewed strikes.
- Whether Iran responds to the Qatari two-day confidence-building proposal and whether the White House engages with it.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedTrump said he would soon decide whether to resume all-out war in Iran.Axios: “President Trump said after meeting with his national security advisers Thursday that he'll soon decide whether to resume all-out war in Iran now that the midterms are over.”
- SupportedTrump said, “Now we will make a decision.”Axios: ““Now we will make a decision,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.”
- SupportedTrump asked whether to go further with strikes to ensure Iran’s nuclear program was dead and “it will never happen again.”Axios: ““Do we want to go further” with strikes to ensure Iran's nuclear program is dead and that “it will never happen again?” he added.”
- SupportedTrump said he would rather not destroy the rest of Iran if possible, but might have to, and that people would know soon enough.Axios: ““I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You'll know soon enough.””
- SupportedTrump was considering new strikes, continued economic pressure on Iran’s regime, or a deal with significant concessions to Iran.Axios: “The president, at least for now, is considering three options: launch new strikes, continue to strangle Iran's regime economically or cut a deal that includes significant concessions to the Iranians.”
- SupportedTrump and his national security advisers met on Iran for the first time since the election as part of his weekly intelligence briefing, two US officials said.Axios: “On Thursday, Trump and his top national security advisers met on Iran for the first time since the election, as part of his weekly intelligence briefing, two U.S. officials said.”
- SupportedQatari mediators were discussing with Iran and the White House a draft proposal for two days of steps to build mutual confidence toward a broader deal.Axios: “The Qatari mediators continued discussions with the Iranians and the White House about a draft proposal calling for the two sides to take a series of steps over two days to build mutual confidence toward a broader deal.”
- SupportedUnder the proposal, the US would lift its naval blockade and release some frozen Iranian funds on the first day, while Iran would invite the IAEA to inspect bombed nuclear sites.Axios: “On the first day, the U.S. would lift its naval blockade and release some Iran's frozen funds. In return, Iran would issue an official invitation to the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to bombed nuclear sites”
- SupportedUnder the proposal, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on the second day, followed by nuclear talks focused on Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.Axios: “On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, after which nuclear talks would resume, focusing on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.”
- SupportedRezaei said Iran had announced seven diplomatic conditions to the Americans and would neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor negotiate until the US fulfilled them.Axios: ““We told Mr. Putin that we announced seven conditions to the Americans regarding diplomacy, and that until the Americans fulfill our seven conditions, neither the Strait of Hormuz will be opened nor will there be any negotiations,” Rezaei said after the meeting.”
- SupportedRezaei met Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday, delivered a message from Iran’s supreme leader, and said Putin was ready to try to help end the war.Axios: “The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei — a key player in indirect negotiations with the U.S. — met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday. ... Rezaei said he delivered a message to Putin from Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. He added that Putin stressed he is ready to try to help end the war.”
- SupportedCENTCOM was finalizing preparations to potentially resume major combat operations in Iran, but had not received a new directive from Washington, a US official said.Axios: “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is finalizing preparations to potentially resume major combat operations in Iran, though it hasn't received a new directive from Washington, a U.S. official said.”