Put the war on hold? Report says Trump was briefed on options for all-out Iran war but opted for negotiations
U.S. President Donald Trump has considered resuming a large-scale military strike against Iran in recent days but has decided to continue diplomatic negotiations, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.According to reports, Trump has had multiple conversations with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kaine on whether the United States should abandon nuclear negotiations with Tehran and resume full military operations.According to reports, the discussion focused on whether Washington should “complete the mission” by launching a new round of attacks on Iran. However, officials said Trump believed renewed military action at this stage could derail ongoing negotiations and reduce the likelihood of a deal to scrap Iran’s nuclear program.The report also said that Trump has told aides that he is willing to continue negotiations beyond the current August 18 deadline for reaching a nuclear agreement, giving diplomacy more time despite the slow progress of negotiations.While wider military action is currently ruled out, Trump is said to support limited retaliatory strikes if Iran violates existing understandings between the two sides. The stance comes after the latest clashes, with attacks that briefly threatened a fragile ceasefire reached earlier this month.“They agree to everything I want, and they have to agree,” Trump told reporters last week. “Otherwise, we go back to doing what we have to do.”U.S. Vice President Vance echoed that position in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, saying the administration would continue negotiations but keep “a lot of options” open if diplomacy fails.According to reports, at the same time, Trump’s Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Doha to conduct another round of indirect negotiations with Iranian representatives through Qatari mediators.Negotiations remain deadlocked on several issues, including Iran’s demand for a service fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and disagreements over limits on Tehran’s nuclear program.The report said that if diplomacy breaks down, senior Pentagon officials will continue to provide Trump with military options. However, since agreeing to a ceasefire earlier this year, the president has repeatedly refused to authorize another full-scale offensive, despite previous warnings of severe military consequences if Iran targets U.S. forces.However, Iran said on Tuesday it would not meet a top U.S. envoy who traveled to the region following the latest outbreak of hostilities, Reuters reported, casting new doubts about the prospects for lasting peace between the two countries.Iranian officials also said the two sides must first resolve the terms of the ceasefire signed two weeks ago before resolving more contentious issues, including potential restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program.
