Trump weighs Iran deal against renewed military strikes
US President Donald Trump has warned that a decision is approaching on whether to reach a deal with Iran or resume military strikes, as growing Iranian and Houthi threats against American interests raise concerns about a wider conflict in the Middle East.
“I have a decision to make: Do I finish it off, which would be very easy to do, or do I make a deal? That’s all,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
“We don’t play games,” he added.
Trump has indicated that US military operations against Iran could resume after the November 3 midterm elections.
Washington has also deployed additional military assets to the region, including a third aircraft carrier group heading towards the Persian Gulf.
However, Trump told reporters on October 25 that the United States would not launch a strike that day.
US officials have warned that the period between the midterm elections and the swearing-in of the new Congress could be particularly dangerous.
A negotiated settlement is widely viewed as the most likely route to ending the conflict.
Meanwhile, the United States is reducing diplomatic and military staffing in parts of the Middle East amid mounting threats from Iran and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Riyadh airport, which resumed commercial flight operations on Sunday.
Washington initially confirmed the departure of some diplomats from Saudi Arabia, but an American official told Bloomberg News last week that staffing adjustments were taking place more broadly as Iran intensified attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran is preparing for the possibility of a renewed US bombing campaign around the midterm elections and is considering retaliatory action across the region, including against Israel and the United Arab Emirates, according to a person familiar with Tehran’s thinking.
Shipping and maritime security officials say Iran has also stepped up attacks on vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, inflicting more severe damage than earlier in the conflict.
Tehran is increasingly using guided missiles instead of attack drones, they said.
“All indications point to a resumption of war and a major bombing campaign, although the timing remains uncertain,” said Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, a Middle East expert at the Brookings Institution.
While Washington appears to be preparing for the possibility of renewed strikes after the midterms, Israel’s political calculations could also influence the course of the conflict.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel, where he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just days before the Israeli leader’s closely watched re-election contest scheduled for October 27.
A Netanyahu defeat could complicate efforts to resume the war against Iran, as his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, may be less inclined to restart military operations at the beginning of his term.