WASHINGTON, July 1 (ANI) — President Donald Trump has recently considered resuming large-scale military strikes against Iran but has decided, for now, to continue pursuing diplomatic negotiations, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.
According to the report, Trump held several meetings with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine to discuss whether the United States should abandon nuclear negotiations with Tehran and return to military action.
The discussions reportedly focused on whether Washington should “finish the job” by launching another round of military operations against Iran.
However, officials said Trump believes renewed military action at this stage could undermine the ongoing negotiations and reduce the chances of reaching a comprehensive agreement aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.
The report also said Trump has informed aides that he is willing to allow negotiations to continue beyond the Aug. 18 deadline for reaching a nuclear agreement, giving diplomacy additional time despite slow progress.
While ruling out a broader military campaign for the time being, Trump reportedly supports limited retaliatory strikes if Iran violates the current understanding between the two countries.
“They’re agreeing to everything that I want, and they have to,” Trump told reporters last week. “Otherwise, we just go back and do what we have to do.”
Vice President JD Vance echoed that position during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, saying the administration would continue negotiations while maintaining “a lot of optionality” if diplomatic efforts fail.
Meanwhile, U.S. Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Doha for another round of indirect negotiations with Iranian representatives through Qatari mediators, the report said.
The talks remain stalled over several key issues, including Tehran’s proposal to impose service fees on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and disagreements over the scope of restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program.
According to the report, senior Pentagon officials have continued to present Trump with military options should diplomacy ultimately collapse. However, the president has repeatedly delayed authorizing another large-scale offensive since agreeing to a ceasefire earlier this year, despite previously warning of severe military consequences if Iran targeted U.S. personnel.
Adding to the uncertainty, Iran said Tuesday that it would not meet with the senior U.S. envoys who traveled to the region following the recent escalation in hostilities, raising fresh questions about the prospects for a lasting agreement between the two countries.
About The Author
