Trump Says Iran War Decision Is Coming Soon as Gulf Mediators Push Hormuz Plan

"Now we will make a decision," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He asked whether the United States wanted to "go further" with strikes to make sure Iran's nuclear programme was finished and that "it will never happen again". He added: "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You'll know soon enough."

For Gulf economies, shipping and energy markets, the decision will settle whether the Strait of Hormuz reopens through a negotiated sequence or the war escalates again. Two US officials told Axios that the president is weighing three options: new strikes, more economic pressure on Iran, or a deal that would include significant concessions to Tehran. They said Thursday's discussion was part of his weekly intelligence briefing. The midterms had been seen as the point at which Trump would choose whether to order a new wave of bombing to bring the war to an end.

A Two-Day Sequence on the Table

The diplomatic activity on Thursday ran largely through the region. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held several phone calls with mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, Oman and Egypt, according to Axios.

Qatari mediators kept talking to both the Iranians and the White House about a draft proposal. Regional sources told Axios that it sets out confidence-building steps over two days, leading to a broader agreement. On the first day, the US would lift its naval blockade and release some of Iran's frozen funds. In return, Iran would formally invite the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to its bombed nuclear sites, based on an agreement reached in Cairo a year ago. On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen. Nuclear talks would then resume, focusing on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Tehran set out a harder line in Moscow. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a central figure in the indirect talks with Washington, met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday. The meeting came days after the two spoke by phone and after Putin offered to mediate between the US and Iran.

Rezaei said he carried a message to Putin from Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and that Putin said he was ready to help end the war. "We told Mr. Putin that we announced seven conditions to the Americans regarding diplomacy, and that until the Americans fulfill our seven conditions, neither the Strait of Hormuz will be opened nor will there be any negotiations," Rezaei said after the meeting.

A Third Carrier Still Weeks Away

A US official said US Central Command is finalising preparations to resume major combat operations in Iran if ordered, but has not received a new directive from Washington.

The arrival of a third US Navy aircraft carrier strike group in the Middle East would be one sign that renewed strikes are coming. According to a US official, the USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group will make a port call of a few days in Singapore starting on Friday. It will not reach Central Command's area of responsibility before mid-November.