Trump Considers Restarting Military Operations Against Iran Amid Peace Talks
Donald Trump is weighing whether to resume military operations against Iran, according to multiple reports. The president met with his national security team at the White House on Wednesday and again on Thursday to discuss the possibility of restarting bombing missions.
The meetings come as Tehran has offered a new proposal on its nuclear program through Qatari mediators, leaving Trump to choose between a deal and taking military action. Iran is also preparing for potential strikes by handing out iodine tablets to families living within two miles of its nuclear sites and coaching them on how to survive a blast.
Moonlight and Military Operations
According to sources, officials told the president that this Monday brings a new moon over the Middle East, leaving next to no moonlight and the kind of cover commanders want for air operations. This timing has raised concerns about the potential for military action in the region.
The possibility of restarting military operations against Iran is not new, as US Central Command has drawn up strike plans that could have started the day after the election. Additionally, thousands of American troops remain in the waters off Iran enforcing the blockade.
Conditions for Talks
Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz or sit down to talks until the United States meets seven conditions, according to Mohsen Rezaei, the country’s top security official. These demands include lifting American sanctions, releasing Iran’s frozen assets, and paying reparations for the war.
Trump rejected a similar proposal in September and responded by posting a map that relabeled the waterway ‘Trump Strait’. However, Tehran has now condensed its sequence of demands into a two-day plan.
Divided Advisers
The president is facing divided advice from his national security team. Vice President JD Vance leads the advisers pushing Trump toward an agreement with Iran, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent want the naval blockade kept in place.
Regional Concerns
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi used a phone call with Trump on Thursday to warn that his country cannot be used as ‘a launchpad for aggression against neighboring countries’, according to his office. This concern comes as Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, flipping seats in Texas, Kansas, and other reliably red states.
Economic Impact
The ongoing conflict has had significant economic implications for the region. Drivers paid an average of $4.15 a gallon on Election Day, the highest for any midterm or presidential election day since at least 2000. Higher energy costs have taken nearly $1,230 from the average American household, and the Strait of Hormuz carried a quarter of the world’s traded oil and a fifth of its liquefied natural gas effectively sealed.
The situation remains uncertain as Trump weighs his options and Iran prepares for potential strikes.
Original Article: Trump rushed into secret national security meeting on whether to start up Iran strikes as deal nears — Dailymail