According to the American news website Axios, on November 2, U.S. President Trump stated that he is 'not in a hurry' to decide whether to resume the war against Iran.
Axios pointed out that the U.S. midterm elections have always been seen as a turning point in whether Trump will initiate large-scale bombing efforts to end the war. However, Trump will at least be adopting a “dual-track” strategy: continuing negotiations while preparing to resume warfare if he determines that an agreement cannot be reached.
He said in a phone interview with Axios on that day: “Anyway, we will take action, but there’s no rush. We have dealt a severe blow to their economy. They have no money, no gasoline, and their people are already tired of this situation.”
He stated, "We're in conversation with them and things are progressing fairly well."
He said, “(The Iranian side) is not as urgent as you think, but they want to reach an agreement more than ever before.”
Hours after the interview ended, Trump posted on social media stating that oil prices had dropped “like stones, by about 10 dollars per barrel, setting a record. Because people think there won’t be a war with Iran. Iran wants to reach an agreement as quickly as possible. This could happen.”
According to Axios, Trump is considering three different plans, each with its own group of supporters behind them.
First, it’s about reaching an agreement. Vice President Williams of the United States and Special Advisor Whitcomb of the US President have been trying to persuade Trump to move closer to the agreement, as reliving the conflict might not improve the situation.
According to sources, most Gulf countries support this stance and have conveyed this attitude to Trump.
Secondly, it's time to return to the battlefield. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis hope to resume the fighting. They say that Iran cannot be trusted in terms of reaching an agreement, let alone keeping the deal. Trump should complete the task through military action.
Another factor is the maximum economic pressure. Sources revealed that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, CIA Director Gina Haspel, and Secretary of State Mike Rubio suggested to Trump to maintain a situation of "no war, no peace," allowing continued economic pressure measures to be taken.
A source familiar with the matter said that Latcliffe told Trump that long-term economic suffering could lead Iran to make further concessions or create enough turmoil within Iran, sparking resistance among the population.
CIA declined comment.
On November 2nd, Iranian Foreign Minister Alaaghi said that the indirect consultations between Iran and the United States have been ‘very intensive’. ‘Qatar and Pakistan are playing a very active role as mediators. We have presented our conditions and proposals.’
He said, “If they (the United States) choose sincere diplomacy, Iran is willing to participate; if they intend to deceive or carry out military actions, they will face a more severe and heavy retaliation than ever before.”
At the same time, he said that if the United States accepts Iran's conditions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, then “the negotiations will resume”.
"Otherwise, the current situation will continue, Iran will never submit." Aghaz said.
