The two major clues Trump could soon resume Iran strikes

For months, Donald Trump has claimed the Iran war would be over “very soon” even as he openly threatened to launch new strikes against the regime in Tehran. More recently, as he has defended the unpopular conflict at rallies across America, the President has said there would be no escalation before the midterm elections, instead claiming he would bring the war to an end immediately after. How Trump intends to do so remains unclear. Iran’s regime withstood a devastating campaign of joint US and Israeli strikes at the start of the war despite losing most of its senior leadership, including former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

The regime has also remained resilient in the face of a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as additional US sanctions. Yet evidence is emerging Trump may soon again turn to military action in order to break what has become an effective stalemate, even though fresh strikes risk plunging the region into a wider war. Trump briefed by key general With the President weighing how to proceed in Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported Trump received a rare, in person briefing from one of the US’ top generals.

Central Command (CENTCOM) head Admiral Brad Cooper, who oversees all operations in the Middle East, briefed the President and a host of senior officials on Thursday, providing an update on the conflict and outlining potential next steps. Admiral Cooper had recently returned from a visit to the Strait of Hormuz, with the WSJ reporting Trump wanted to hear first-hand whether the US blockade of the waterway was proving effective. Earlier, Admiral Cooper met with the Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Dan Caine, and Vice President JD Vance for a separate discussion on the war.

The meetings between senior military and administration officials lend weight to speculation the US is preparing to launch fresh strikes. Trump last met with Admiral Cooper in July shortly after a ceasefire agreement with Iran collapsed, sparking a brief flare-up in attacks from both sides. In an apparent confirmation military officials had presented the President with a new plan of attack, Democratic Senator for Connecticut, Chris Murphy, told those gathered at a Middle East Institute event he had been briefed on what was under consideration.

“The plan is insane. It will not achieve objectives and will set off a new cycle of escalation,” he said on Thursday. Senator Murphy sits on the chamber’s foreign relations committee, which regularly receives briefings on the war. US warns allies, moves troops While Trump has suggested fresh attacks would most likely occur if Iran failed to agree a peace deal when discussing his plans in public, in private reports have increasingly suggested the President’s administration is preparing for future hostilities.

Both the WSJ and Associated Press , citing unnamed officials, have suggested the US is warning allies in the Middle East to prepare for the possibility of strikes. Fresh strikes were likely to come in the weeks immediately following the midterms and could last several days, the reports said. However, any attack would likely trigger an Iranian response, potentially extending the operations for weeks. Tehran has repeatedly warned, in public and in private, that any attacks would result in Iranian forces striking a wide variety of targets across the region, including US military bases and military and civilian infrastructure in Gulf states.

Admiral Cooper (centre) recently returned from a visit to the Strait of Hormuz, where he addressed troops stationed in the region (Photo: US Central Command) In addition to warning allies about the potential for fresh strikes, the US has also shifted troops across the region in apparent anticipation of renewed hostilities. Troops have been redeployed away from a handful of bases across the Middle East in recent weeks as part of an effort to minimise threats to personnel.

At the same time, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and a number of amphibious landing vessels are en route to the region after having been deployed by the Pentagon last month. Beyond providing more firepower, the deployment will also help re-supply troops and bolster air defences. The Pentagon is also in the process of moving an additional Patriot missile system to Israel, which has been forced to deplete its stockpile of interceptors in response to attacks from Iran-backed militant groups.

Mediators urge diplomacy While evidence increasingly suggests the US is looking to resume strikes on Iran, mediators in the conflict have continued to urge both sides to pursue a diplomatic solution. In a statement, the United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Ministry called on both sides to “exercise wisdom and pursue political solutions to help contain tensions”, echoing similar sentiments from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Iran has also continued to publicly talk up a proposal – which Trump quickly rebuffed last month – it says would re-open the Strait of Hormuz within seven days and provide a pathway to a permanent end to the conflict.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragachi insisted Tehran “continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed”. Negotiations have picked up in recent days, with the US Vice President credited for having pushed for new talks. Vance wrote to Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, General Mohsen Rezaei, but maintained discussions over ending the war would have to include a long-term plan to address Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

However, Iranian officials on Thursday continued to insist the US end its blockade and lift sanctions before resuming talks on its nuclear programme, raising doubts over whether both sides could reach a compromise.