Politics
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated to his senior advisers that the United States may refrain from launching further attacks on Iran if there are no new provocations by Tehran or the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated to his senior advisers that the United States may refrain from launching further attacks on Iran if there are no new provocations by Tehran or the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to Reuters, three people familiar with the matter said Trump had considered the possibility of halting further strikes on Iran following meetings with national security advisers and intelligence briefings in recent days.
The report said Trump has alternated between threatening to escalate the conflict and launch further attacks and signaling that military operations could come to an end. Current and former U.S. officials said the president has not yet made a final decision on how to end the conflict. Speaking on Thursday to sports broadcaster and television host Stephen A. Smith, Trump said he could end the war immediately. However, at the request of countries seeking U.S. protection, he was pursuing a more cautious and relatively prolonged approach.
According to Reuters, Trump held telephone conversations over the past two weeks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Both leaders reportedly advised him against resuming attacks on Iran. The report said Trump had told the Saudi crown prince on October 31 that he intended to attack Iran after the U.S. elections. However, Mohammed bin Salman urged him not to do so, arguing that economic sanctions against Iran were proving effective. According to the Turkish presidency, Trump and Erdoğan held three telephone conversations after October 28. An official statement issued following their November 7 conversation also emphasised the need to ease tensions between Iran and the United States.
According to assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies, the American blockade of Iran's maritime trade and economic sanctions are putting pressure on the Iranian economy and could continue to exert pressure on Tehran. Reuters reported, citing U.S. officials, that in addition to restricting Iran's maritime trade, the U.S. military is taking measures to prevent weapons and sanctioned goods from entering the country through land routes and across the Caspian Sea. The report also quoted U.S. officials as saying that the American military is prepared to intensify military operations against Iran if necessary.
A third U.S. aircraft carrier is also expected to arrive in the Middle East, replacing one of the two carriers already deployed in the region. However, all three carriers could remain deployed there if circumstances require. According to the report, Trump may also consider the option of launching fresh strikes against Iran's underground nuclear facilities. However, the United States has already targeted these installations, and the prospects of success from further attacks remain uncertain. U.S. intelligence officials believe that additional strikes are also unlikely to bring about any significant change in Iran's demands during negotiations. Reuters further reported that Trump had been briefed on the state of U.S. weapons stockpiles, some of which have fallen to concerningly low levels, particularly supplies of advanced long-range weapons. The White House rejected these concerns, maintaining that the U.S. military has sufficient weapons and ammunition to achieve all of the president's strategic objectives.
