Trump reviewing several military action scenarios against Iran – Axios
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump held a meeting with top administration officials to review possible military action options against Iran, according to Axios.
The entire national security leadership of the US administration attended the meeting, including:
- Vice President JD Vance;
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio;
- White House envoy Steve Witkoff;
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth;
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine;
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
At the center of the discussions were future steps regarding Iran, the progress of negotiations, and specific military strike plans.
Trump’s plans regarding Iran
The meeting took place just hours after Trump announced a pause in attacks that had been planned for Tuesday.
US officials say Trump had not made a final decision to strike Iran even before announcing the pause. Part of the reason for the delay was concern from Gulf leaders, who fear Iranian retaliation against their oil facilities and pipelines.
Regional leaders personally urged Trump to give negotiations another chance.
Deadline set for just days away
Trump made it clear that his patience is running out. He set a deadline for a diplomatic breakthrough.
“Two-three days, maybe Friday or Saturday, early next week,” he said.
At the same time, a source close to Trump said several Iran hawks who spoke with the president after his Monday remarks got the impression that “he is prepared to crush them to force movement in the negotiations.”
Uncertainty inside the administration
There is no unified position among administration officials. Many were surprised by Trump’s Monday statement and admitted they do not fully understand his strategy. Some believe that if negotiations stall again, he could once more postpone any decision.
Trump insists that “serious negotiations” are underway. However, one senior official told Axios that Iran’s latest counterproposal produced no meaningful progress. Meanwhile, mediators are trying to convince Tehran to take a more flexible position regarding US nuclear demands.
As previously reported, https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/trump-was-ready-to-strike-iran-arab-leaders-1779250835.html,
but changed course after appeals from Arab allies. Gulf leaders feared that an Iranian response could devastate their oil infrastructure and block key shipping routes.
Meanwhile, amid renewed diplomatic signals, two Chinese supertankers carrying 4 million barrels of Iraqi oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time in a long period.
