President Trump has discussed resuming full-scale war with Iran, but is opting to stay the course with diplomacy for now.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Trump has spoken to War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about launching additional strikes against the Islamic Republic, but has decided negotiations are currently the best way to ensure Iran dismantles its nuclear weapons program.
Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed June 17, the US and Iran have 60 days to broker a final peace deal that resolves the status of Tehran’s enriched uranium as well as billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets and relief from US and international sanctions.
“They’re agreeing to everything that I want, and they have to,” Trump told reporters last week when asked about negotiations. “Otherwise, we just go back and do what we have to do.”
According to the Journal, Trump has indicated he will accept talks continuing past the end of the 60-day period Aug. 18, while being content to order one-off strikes if he deems Iran to have violated the MOU.