President Donald Trump is "seriously considering" abandoning the peace plan he signed in June and restarting major combat operations against Iran, including strikes that would go beyond Operation Epic Fury, whose objectives included destroying Iran's missile program and production facilities, naval assets and other security infrastructure and, perhaps most importantly from the U.S. perspective, ensuring that Iran "will never have nuclear weapons."
In an interview with Axios, Trump acknowledged that resuming military operations against Iran would carry significant consequences and said he has not yet made a final decision.
As reported by the outlet, Trump did not provide a timeline for his decision, and two other U.S. officials told Axios that no decision has been made and no new orders have been issued to the military.
"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," Trump said.
He then said Israel would "join (the conflict) in two minutes if I ask them to," but added that the United States does not need assistance from other countries to launch a new military operation against Iran.
The U.S.-Iran war began on Feb. 28 with Operation Epic Fury, and nearly five months later, both countries remain locked in retaliatory attacks. This week, oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel, their highest level since May, as much of the conflict has centered on the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway between Iran and Oman through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes.
In the interview, Trump said Iran "wants to negotiate" but is not ready to make a deal, adding that "they haven't received enough pain yet."
While both sides continue trying to reach a compromise, the ongoing attacks have further strained relations between the two countries. As reported by NPR, the U.S. military carried out its 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iran aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to threaten maritime traffic. The latest attacks targeted locations along the Strait of Hormuz, including the island of Qeshm and the city of Bandar Abbas.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently warned the U.N. Security Council that the situation in the Middle East is "getting out of control."
"The region is being pulled into an ever-widening circle of confrontation. One crisis feeds another. One escalation triggers the next," he said, as quoted by NPR.
