US President Donald Trump has informed his advisers that he intends to resume the bombing campaign against Iran immediately following the November midterm elections, according to a report published in the Wall Street Journal. The decision comes as Trump has rejected a ceasefire proposal submitted by Tehran.
Senior officials in Washington said Trump is currently avoiding launching a large-scale military operation out of concern that it would deplete US military ammunition stockpiles. Instead, the president prefers to combine diplomatic leverage, rapid strikes and strengthened sanctions.
Trump himself addressed the issue in his speech to the UN General Assembly, emphasising that domestic political considerations are not guiding him on this matter. His central objective remains preventing Iran from achieving nuclear capability.
On the Iranian side, the Revolutionary Guards, who have been running the country since fighting broke out in February, have made clear they are rejecting new compromise formulas and are well prepared for continued prolonged warfare. The Guards are demanding a return to a framework similar to the initial agreement Trump formulated in June, which included sanctions relief on oil, access to frozen funds and cooperation in managing the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump recently rejected a deal proposal regarding Hormuz. The compromise offer presented by Iranian diplomats through Qatari intermediaries included a seven-day plan under which the Strait of Hormuz would open to ship traffic and nuclear talks would resume, in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports, unfreezing assets and cancelling sanctions on oil exports.
Despite the blockade causing massive damage to Iran's economy, the American administration estimates that the tight economic pressure will ultimately bring Tehran to accept an agreement on terms preferred by Washington and the Gulf states.
