Washington and Tehran Prepared for a «Return to War»

Washington – Agencies: U.S. President Donald Trump is considering the possibility of returning to military confrontation with Iran, after holding a series of meetings in recent days with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine to review military options, including resuming wide-ranging strikes against Iranian targets, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. According to these officials, the discussions focused on whether the United States should abandon the negotiation track and resume comprehensive military operations, an option described by some officials as “completing the mission.” However, Trump has decided for now to maintain the diplomatic path, believing that launching new attacks could undermine the chances of reaching an agreement that would ultimately lead to the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Although the military briefings provided by the Pentagon to the president are routine, officials emphasized that the latest discussions reflect the Trump administration’s search for a way out of the stalemate with Tehran, without ruling out a return to military operations if negotiations collapse. Some officials view this as a tacit acknowledgment of the failure of the deal Washington is seeking to conclude with Iran. A White House official stated that diplomacy remains the president’s preferred option, urging Iran to seize the opportunity to reach an agreement with the United States, while spokespeople for the Department of Defense declined to comment on the details of military plans.

For his part, Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator with the United States, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said that the U.S. naval blockade on Iran “has ended completely,” and that Tehran will not negotiate on uranium enrichment or its offensive and missile capabilities. He stressed that ongoing communications with the Trump administration are not aimed at drafting a new agreement, but rather at implementing the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides. In an extensive interview with state television, Qalibaf presented Tehran’s account of the phase following the agreement, stating that Iran will not move on to the remaining provisions of the 14-point memorandum until the first five provisions are implemented. He warned that Iran is “ready for war” if the other party fails to honor its commitments.