WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said his administration will soon decide whether to launch further military strikes against Iran, after meeting his national security advisers for the first time since the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump met his top security team on Thursday to discuss the next steps in the conflict. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said Washington was weighing whether to intensify military action to ensure Iran’s nuclear programme could not be revived.
“Now we will make a decision,” Trump said, adding that he would prefer not to destroy more of Iran but might have to do so.
The options under consideration include launching fresh strikes, maintaining economic pressure on Tehran or pursuing an agreement involving concessions from both sides.
The US Central Command is preparing for the possibility of renewed major combat operations in Iran, but has not received a fresh order from Washington, according to a US official cited in reports. The preparations do not confirm that an attack has been authorised.
Meanwhile, diplomatic contacts have intensified. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held calls with regional counterparts and mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt.
Qatari mediators are also discussing a proposal with Tehran and Washington that could involve the US lifting its naval blockade and releasing some frozen Iranian funds. In return, Iran would invite the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect nuclear sites that were previously bombed. The proposal also envisages reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear negotiations.
Iran, however, has maintained that it will not return to negotiations until its conditions are met. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reiterated the position after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday.
The meeting comes amid uncertainty over whether the US will escalate military action after the midterm elections or pursue a diplomatic route. The Associated Press has reported that the eight-month conflict has contributed to voter dissatisfaction in the US, with around six in 10 voters surveyed saying the decision to take military action against Iran was wrong.
No fresh US strike on Iran has been announced.
( With inputs from media reports)