Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he is prepared to resume “very strong military action” against Iran if ongoing diplomatic efforts fail, even as he confirmed that he had paused planned strikes on the Islamic Republic to allow negotiations another opportunity, according to a report by Axios.
According to Axios, the current negotiations are focused on reaching a new agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and revive discussions on a broader nuclear deal with Iran.
The talks are being led primarily by Iran and Oman, with Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, and Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Senior Adviser Jared Kushner also playing active roles.
Speaking to Axios, Trump indicated that while diplomacy remains the preferred path for now, military action remains an option if negotiations do not produce results.
“We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don’t work out, we will go back to very strong military action,” Trump told Axios.
When asked how much time he was willing to allow for diplomacy, Trump told Axios, “Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all.”
According to Axios, Trump said he decided to suspend planned US strikes after countries involved in mediation efforts, along with several regional governments, urged him to give negotiations another chance.
“All of the people that deal with Iran asked me, ‘Don’t fire,'” Trump said, adding that he believed Iran was interested in reaching an agreement.
Explaining his decision to delay military action, Trump said, “Nothing gained, nothing lost.”
He also noted that oil prices had fallen and stock markets had risen following his decision to pause the strikes.
Axios reported that Trump directed the US military on Friday to halt planned strikes against Iranian targets along the country’s southern coastline and around the Strait of Hormuz. The decision followed a meeting with senior advisers and military officials, who had presented a revised operational plan.
According to the report, Trump had been inclined to resume large-scale military operations before deciding on Friday to suspend the planned attacks. Axios also reported that negotiations between Oman and Iran had made progress, although no final agreement had been reached.
