Trump prepares new Middle East escalation, WSJ reports
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump rejected a proposal by Iran for a seven-day ceasefire. Moreover, he is prepared to resume strikes against the regime after the November midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reports.
This time, Tehran sought to reach an agreement with the United States to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations over its nuclear program in exchange for an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports.
At the same time, Trump has publicly claimed that Iran will supposedly ask for a deal after the midterm elections that would require the country to completely abandon its nuclear program.
According to people familiar with the matter, as the outlet reports, the US president remains privately skeptical that Tehran will agree to meet his demands.
He has also warned those around him that he considers renewed bombing of Iran a very possible scenario.
Trump's approach suggests that the conflict, which is currently on the line between war and peace, could once again shift into an active phase of hostilities.
However, the US president's position remains fluid. Since the seven-month confrontation began, Trump has repeatedly declared victory while alternating between pursuing diplomacy, authorizing airstrikes, and tightening sanctions on Iran.
US officials say his position could change in the coming weeks if the conflict drags on. The midterm election results could also influence his decisions.
It remains unclear how extensive any potential US strikes could be. Officials note that Trump is reluctant to consider a large-scale military operation, in part because Washington wants to preserve dwindling ammunition supplies for other potential conflicts.
As previously reported, the US Department of Defense had sharply increased the number of wounded US troops in the war with Iran.
Earlier, the media also reported that Trump announced "very big things" in the war in the Middle East.
