Tehran Rejects Settlement Ideas... Trump Considers Intensive Bombing

Anticipation has returned regarding the possibility of resuming U.S. military operations against Iran, as diplomatic efforts and initiatives have met with Tehran’s refusal to make any concessions. Meanwhile, the U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering launching a short and intense military campaign against Tehran following the midterm congressional elections scheduled for November 3 next year.

Although the Republican president has not yet finalized his decision on whether to carry out the attack, the newspaper stated that he is leaning toward launching a broad strike after the elections, which could target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear facilities.

In connection with potential preparations, officials indicated that the United States is transferring additional Patriot missile defense systems from Texas to Israel. U.S. forces have also replenished their ammunition stocks in the region, and bombers and fighter jets have been readied to carry out strikes.

These preparations suggest the possibility of an additional aircraft carrier group and a U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary unit joining a fleet of approximately 20 warships operating in the Middle East next month. Previous reports had indicated that U.S. forces had moved personnel from bases in the region that were considered at risk, in anticipation of the anticipated escalation.

During a campaign rally on the night of Tuesday into Wednesday, Trump did not announce a definitive decision to launch the attack, but he stressed that all “options are on the table” to ensure that Tehran cannot acquire a nuclear weapon. He noted that “Iran wanted to reach an agreement. Perhaps it was waiting for the elections, but the elections will not help them,” adding that the “epic fury” military operation and economic pressures had shattered Iran’s military capabilities and severely weakened its financial resources.

Trump, whose administration has relied in recent weeks on a strategy of economic strangulation—maintaining a naval blockade to zero out Iranian oil sales, significantly reducing Iranian air traffic, and restricting land trade—asserted that “Iran has the highest inflation rate in the world, now at 340 percent.” Pentagon data showed that the military spent more than $47 billion to manage the Iran war, an increase of over 25 percent compared to the ministry’s estimate in July last year.

Meanwhile, indicators of a strike strengthened following the hung results of the Israeli elections, which kept Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the race to form a new government.

Netanyahu said in statements today: “We will remove the Iranian threat forever—with Trump’s cooperation,” considering that “as long as the Iranian regime exists, the matter is not over, because it will try again to destroy us.” He viewed Israel as facing a limited, historic opportunity to eliminate the Iranian threat.

The Washington Post reported that Netanyahu may pressure his rival Gadi Eisenkot to join a national unity government in the event of a conflict with Iran.

This coincided with reports from Israeli circles that the Israeli military had prepared plans and targets for a new attack, while the Walla news site reported that Defense Minister Yisrael Katz held consultations with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to discuss developments on the Iranian front.

On the other side, the Iranian regime has shown inflexibility in the face of regional diplomatic moves. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran’s policy of non-flexibility on the nuclear file remains unchanged. He stressed that Qatar has not yet presented any new proposal to end the war between Iran and the United States.

The official pointed to Doha’s efforts to propose solutions aimed at ending confrontations with Washington, emphasizing that the ideas put forward by the Qatari capital are unacceptable to his country. Earlier today, Reuters reported that Qatari mediators presented a new draft agreement to Tehran officials last Sunday, and that Iran is reviewing the proposal and will respond within days.

The official added that several countries will participate in guaranteeing the agreement, without disclosing their identities or the nature of the commitments they will make to ensure the implementation of its provisions.

At a time when talk of the new initiative intersects with fundamental differences that emerged in previous proposals, particularly regarding the sequencing of steps required from both sides and whether the naval blockade and sanctions relief should be lifted before Tehran halts its obstruction of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, or whether the measures should be implemented simultaneously, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei accused Trump of acknowledging his disbelief in the interim Islamabad memorandum aimed at ending the war, viewing this as demonstrating “Washington’s disdain for diplomacy.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned against any “military adventure” instigated by Israel in the Gulf region, stating that it would affect global energy markets and could lead to the spread of war.

He considered agreement to continue consultations with the “Mecca Alliance” a significant step, stressing that turning this opportunity into sustainable cooperation requires reaching an agreement on shared principles, building trust, and mutual respect for the sovereignty of states, alongside practical commitments.

He affirmed that achieving sustainable security, from Iran’s perspective, must involve the participation of regional countries and without any military presence or interference from external powers.

Meanwhile, Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, claimed that the demand for Iran to possess nuclear weapons is “the most frequently repeated demand among the public these days,” following the publication of a video featuring statements from several regime supporters calling for the acquisition of an atomic bomb.