Lead
US President Donald Trump has held a series of meetings with senior national security officials to review US policy towards Iran, weighing whether to continue negotiations or resume broader military strikes, according to the Wall Street Journal. The report, citing US officials familiar with internal deliberations, says Trump has been briefed on options for a possible return to broader military confrontation but has, for now, chosen to continue diplomatic negotiations.
Coverage comparison
Both Dawn and the Jerusalem Post reported on the Wall Street Journal's account of Trump's deliberations. Dawn's report emphasizes that Trump considered returning to broader military confrontation with Iran but chose to continue diplomatic negotiations, framing the story around the administration's policy tensions. The Jerusalem Post's report is more concise, describing Trump's consideration of "all-out war" with Iran while noting his current preference for diplomatic talks and one-off strikes.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the discussions involved Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, as officials assessed whether the United States should abandon talks with Tehran and resume full-scale military strikes. Some officials involved in the deliberations reportedly described the harder option internally as "finishing the job."
While the deliberations reflect renewed debate within the administration over escalation, the report says Trump has not made a final decision and has instead leaned toward maintaining the diplomatic track, arguing that large-scale military action could disrupt fragile negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.
Key claims
The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump has told advisers he is comfortable allowing nuclear negotiations with Tehran to extend beyond an August 18 deadline, effectively giving diplomacy additional time to produce results. Officials cited in the report said this flexibility reflects an effort to avoid locking Washington into a rigid timetable while talks remain in progress.
At the same time, Trump is said to remain open to limited retaliatory measures, including "one-off" strikes in response to Iranian violations of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that previously helped structure a fragile ceasefire arrangement. Such calibrated responses, officials suggested, are seen within parts of the administration as a way to apply pressure without escalating into a wider war.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States has established a crisis communication channel between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and US Central Command. Additionally, indirect negotiations are reportedly continuing in Doha, with Iran's push to impose service charges on commercial shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a central sticking point in the talks.
The report also notes that Trump has not yet made a final decision to avoid returning to war.