President Donald Trump has told senior advisers in recent days that he may hold off on attacking Iran if the US faces no new provocations from Tehran or the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Trump has alternated between threats of escalating the war with new strikes and winding down hostilities, and current and former officials say he does not appear to have made up his mind about how to resolve the unpopular conflict, which he launched in February with Israel.
But in meetings with his national security advisers and after a series of intelligence briefings, Trump said he was considering holding off on strikes, said the people, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on condition of anonymity.
He has also indicated sympathy for allies in the region who have asked him not to return to a full-fledged war.
“I could end it immediately, but at the request of the nations that I am looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a bit more civilly,” Trump told sports broadcaster Stephen A. Smith on Thursday.
The war has hiked global fuel prices and proven unpopular with US voters, who handed control of Congress to the Democrats in last week’s midterm elections.
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken shortly before the November 3 elections, 55% of Americans said the war was not worth the cost, and Vice President JD Vance cited it as the reason Trump’s Republicans lost Congress.
Trump’s private comments build on public remarks playing down the likelihood of major warfare resuming.
“As Commander-in-Chief, President Trump is the architect and sole decision-maker who holds all the cards and will always ensure that America’s interests are protected,” a White House official said in a statement.
“The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing.
Only President Trump knows what he will do, and when.
“The CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to requests for comment.
