After the U.S. midterm elections, President Trump is facing rising pressure over his next move on Iran. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with his national security adviser, Trump said that with the election cycle concluded he would soon decide whether to resume an all-out war against Iran, adding that the result would become visible shortly. At the White House, Trump said the core goal of any further military action would be to ensure Iran’s nuclear program is ended once and for all and to prevent a similar scenario from recurring. He said he did not want to destroy what remains of Iran’s infrastructure but may have to make a difficult choice.
Two U.S. officials said Trump and his national security team held their first dedicated discussion on Iran after the midterms, during the weekly intelligence briefing. The White House now faces at least three choices: launch a new round of military strikes, continue maximum economic pressure on Iran, or reach a deal, though the latter could require major U.S. concessions. The election is viewed as a key decision point, and observers are watching whether Trump will push for larger-scale airstrikes in a bid to end the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.
Meanwhile, diplomatic activity in the Middle East has stepped up. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held multiple rounds of telephone talks with regional mediators including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt. Qatar continues to consult with Iran and the White House on a draft agreement that would call for a series of confidence-building measures within two days to pave the way for broader negotiations. According to a plan described by regional sources, the United States would lift its maritime blockade of Iran and release some frozen Iranian funds on the first day; in exchange, Iran would formally invite inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit nuclear facilities that were bombed, based on an agreement reached in Cairo a year earlier. The second day would involve reopening the Strait of Hormuz, followed by resumed U.S.-Iran nuclear talks focused on Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The broader geopolitical backdrop is also changing. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a key figure in indirect U.S.-Iran talks, met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Putin had previously offered to mediate between Washington and Tehran. Rezaei said he conveyed a message from Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and that Putin stressed Russia’s willingness to help end the war. After the meeting, Rezaei said Iran had presented seven conditions for diplomatic negotiations to the United States, and that the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen and no talks would be held until Washington met them.
The U.S. military is also preparing for the possible resumption of large-scale operations. One official said U.S. Central Command is completing preparations to restart a major military campaign against Iran if necessary, but has not yet received new operational orders from Washington. Another key signal is whether the U.S. Navy’s third carrier strike group will deploy to the Middle East. Officials said the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group will begin a multi-day port visit in Singapore on Friday and are expected to enter Central Command’s area of responsibility before mid-November.
