Trump ‘briefed On Options For Return To War With Iran As Peace Process Stumbles’

Donald Trump is weighing a return to unfastened war pinch Tehran and met pinch defense caput Pete Hegseth and his astir elder wide to talk renewing strikes, according to a report.

Sources told nan Wall Street Journal that nan US president would for illustration to proceed pinch negotiated efforts, believing that further conflict could undermine Washington’s efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump has told aides he is good pinch negotiations for a atomic deal dragging connected past nan 18 August deadline arsenic it would springiness them much clip to activity with.

However, nan president said if Iran violated nan “memorandum of understanding”, he would bid one-off strikes successful return, arsenic happened past week.

In an question and reply connected Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News “what nan president has told america is, activity nan problem, spot wherever nan speech is going to lead. And if it doesn’t lead to a successful solution connected nan negotiated side, we still person a batch of optionality, and we still accomplished a full batch for nan American people.”

Publicly, Trump maintains nan talks are succeeding and that subject options stay should they deteriorate. “They’re agreeing to everything that I want, and they person to,” he told reporters past week. “Otherwise, we conscionable spell backmost and do what we person to do.”

Other details, however, look to bespeak a flagging bid process.

The presence of Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner successful Doha connected Tuesday was followed by nan news that they would only beryllium speaking pinch their Iranian counterparts indirectly, Qatari officials said.

Another obstacle is Tehran’s insistence upon charging billions of dollars successful work fees for vessels passing done nan Strait of Hormuz. However, nan US insists nan waterway should beryllium free to each transit, arsenic it was earlier nan war.

Iran besides refuses to judge strict limitations connected its atomic work, contempt Trump insisting Tehran has already agreed to do so.

However location are signs of constructive diplomacy betwixt nan US and Iran, including nan constitution of a situation connection statement betwixt nan Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and US Central Command. A White House charismatic told nan WSJ nan said nan transmission is already unfastened and successful usage by some sides.

“Iran has not been cooperative astatine each yet,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Tuesday connected Fox News.

“With aliases without Iran, we will guarantee power flows done nan Strait of Hormuz. Of course, amended pinch their cooperation. We want to put an extremity to their atomic program,” he added.