President Donald Trump has told senior advisers in recent days that he may refrain from attacking Iran, provided Washington does not face fresh provocations from Tehran or the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, three people familiar with the matter said.
Trump has moved back and forth between threatening to widen the conflict with new strikes and pulling back from hostilities. Current and former officials say he has not settled on how to end the unpopular war, which the United States launched in February together with Israel. In meetings with his national security advisers and after a series of intelligence briefings, he said he was considering a pause in strikes, the sources said. They spoke on condition of anonymity, as did others interviewed for the report.
Trump’s public remarks and the political backdrop
Trump has also expressed sympathy for regional allies who have urged him not to return to full-scale war. Speaking to sports broadcaster Stephen A. Smith on Thursday, he said, “I could end it immediately, but at the request of the nations that I am looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a bit more civilly.”
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The conflict has pushed up fuel prices around the world and has not won over American voters. They handed control of Congress to the Democrats in last week’s midterm elections. A Reuters poll taken shortly before the November 3 elections found that 55 per cent of Americans considered the war not worth its cost. Vice President JD Vance pointed to the war as a reason Trump’s Republicans lost Congress.
Trump’s private comments follow public statements that played down the likelihood of major fighting resuming. A White House official said in a statement that Trump alone makes the final decisions and would always protect American interests. The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to requests for comment.
Private calls with Saudi and Turkish leaders
In phone calls over the past two weeks, Trump asked for the views of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Both urged him not to resume attacks on Iran, according to a senior US official and another person familiar with the matter. Those sources said Trump made no commitment either way.
Trump told bin Salman on October 31 that he planned to attack after the elections. The crown prince pleaded with him to hold off, arguing that economic sanctions against Iran were working, according to two other people familiar with the discussion. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Turkiye’s presidency said Trump had spoken with Erdogan three times since October 28. An official readout of the November 7 call stressed that tensions between Iran and the United States need to end.
US intelligence agencies have assessed that the naval blockade and economic sanctions are hurting Iran’s economy and will keep up pressure on Tehran, two US officials briefed on the assessment said. The military is also trying to stop weapons and other sanctioned goods from reaching Iran by land or through the Caspian Sea. That effort builds on a blockade of Iranian sea traffic that has run for months, according to an earlier wire report.
Military options and strained weapons stockpiles
Three more people familiar with US planning said the military is ready to escalate if necessary. A third aircraft carrier is due to move into the Middle East in the coming days to replace one of the two currently in the region. All three carriers could remain if needed.
One of the people familiar with Trump’s calls with the Saudi and Turkish leaders said he could choose to bomb Iran’s underground nuclear facilities. However, the United States has already struck those sites, and it is unclear whether further strikes would succeed. Two US officials said intelligence agencies have assessed that renewed strikes would not significantly change Iran’s demands in negotiations.
Trump was also briefed on US weapons stockpiles, some of which have dropped to worrying levels, according to two people familiar with the briefings. Reuters reported in August that the US had used “virtually all” of its long-range precision munitions, and another person briefed on the matter said those stocks have not been replenished. The White House official said the military has enough munitions and ammunition to serve the commander-in-chief’s strategic goals and beyond.
Israeli lobbying and Trump’s latest post
Israeli officials have continued to press the administration to launch another military campaign, a US official said. Trump signalled this week that Washington has already gained what it could from negotiations, but he did not say whether he would resume strikes.
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump wrote, “We don’t need a deal with Iran.” He added, “We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!”
