Trump says he is weighing resuming large-scale attacks to end Iran war
He told Axios he is at a turning point in the conflict, days after giving conflicting signals on whether a deal with Tehran is near.
Published
President Trump said in an interview with Axios that he is deciding whether to resume large-scale attacks on Iran to bring the war to an end, describing himself as at a turning point in the conflict.
The statement follows a string of contradictory remarks from Trump this week. On Wednesday he said Iran is not ready to make a deal, then said separately that the war would end "very soon," and on another occasion said Iran does want to make a deal. He also said the US is hopefully near the end of the war, and that he will meet Gulf leaders on Iran next week. Iran's security chief has said talks will not happen until Tehran's demands are met. Vice President Vance told the New York Post the conflict would enter a "much different phase" after the midterms.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Iran's regime will be overthrown and is bound to fall. Separately, China pressed Iran to rein in the Houthis after a Saudi appeal, and Pakistan's army chief urged Iran to persuade the Houthis not to target Saudi energy facilities. US officials are also holding separate talks with the Houthis in Oman over attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Trump has alternated for weeks between suggesting a deal is close and warning that the fighting will continue, without resolving that uncertainty. His latest comment, that he faces a turning point decision, does not add information that clarifies which way the conflict is heading, leaving investors with the same ambiguity about escalation or negotiation that has hung over Iran-linked markets for weeks.